Sunday, June 8, 2008

Leah Escorpizo, 32, is a native of the Philippines but lives in Saudi Arabia with her husband and two children. "I'm used to food price increases in the Philippines," she said. "But in the nine years I've lived in Saudi Arabia, I've never noticed such a price spike. We've never experienced anything like this before. It was a sudden increase."

The prices of basic commodities have soared. A tray of 30 eggs, for example, used to cost about 12 riyals, or $3.20, but now is more than 16 riyals, or $4.30, she said.

"I comparison-shop a lot now and spend time looking for cheaper supermarkets or sales on things like two packets of hot dogs for the price of one," she said. "We buy fewer vegetables. I don't keep anything in the fridge anymore. I buy only what we're going to consume immediately."

Her family has even started eating less. "Now when I go shopping, I buy either chicken or meat. We can't afford both anymore," she said.

Escorpizo supports her parents, who live in the Philippines and are also suffering from higher prices: "They're complaining that rice, sugar, all the basic commodities have gone up."

Last year, she sent them $300 a month but this year sends about $400, "and it's still not enough."

-- Faiza Saleh Ambah