Onions are so expensive in the Philippines they're being smuggled into the country
CTV
From salads to stews, the humble onion is a key ingredient in nearly every Filipino dish. But now, the vegetable costs almost three times more than chicken in the Philippines.
From salads to stews, the humble onion is a key ingredient in nearly every Filipino dish. But now, the vegetable costs almost three times more than chicken in the Philippines.
Red and white onions were selling for as much as 600 Philippine pesos (US$11) per kilogram (2.2 lbs) on Monday, compared to 220 pesos ($4) per kilogram for chicken, according to the country's Department of Agriculture.
Even beef brisket is 30% cheaper than onions by weight as the price of a kilogram of the allium has soared higher than the daily minimum wage.
Joey Salceda, resident economist at the Philippine House of Representatives, lamented Sunday that the country now has the "world's most expensive domestic onion prices," while Filipinos have flooded social media to complain about the sky-high prices.
The price surge comes after a spate of super typhoons hit the Philippines last year, damaging tens of billions of pesos worth of crops. The Southeast Asian country has been grappling with soaring inflation in recent months, with consumer prices jumping 8.1% in December, hitting a 14-year high, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Record prices have prompted a number of official investigations, including by lawmakers and the country's ombudsman.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires was quoted this week by CNN affiliate CNN Philippines as saying he was looking into the possibility of price manipulation. The ombudsman hasn't yet replied to a CNN request for comment.
