Along withgarlic,onion is astaple inFilipino cuisine, being used as a base in many dishes.[5] It is a seasonal crop, growing between therainy months of September and December. Meanwhile, itsharvest season begins as early as December and ends in June.[6] The Philippines consumes an average of 17,000 metric tons of onion per month.[7] In August 2022, the country was predicted to experience a shortage of onion and garlic.[8]
The price ofred onion in 2021 ranged between₱90 and₱120.[6]
In January 2023, PresidentBongbong Marcos, who was also serving concurrently asSecretary of Agriculture, approved the importation of 21,060 tons of onion.[1] The first shipments began to arrive on January 23.[10] Theagriculture department said the importation, albeit a "temporary solution", would help decrease inflation in the country and stabilize the price of the vegetable.[1]
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