Manila : The onion crisis is getting deeper in the Philippines. The skyrocketing prices have increased the importance of onions manifold overnight. There are reports that people are hoarding onions and onions are also being smuggled. The situation has become such that onion is being called the ‘new gold of the country’. 1 kg of onion is being sold in the country for around Rs.900. People in the Philippines are massively fond of onions. There is a good number of meat eaters here, in which onions are mainly used, but onion is being sold in the Philippines, which is more expensive than meat.
According to the news of Khaleej Times, people in the Philippines are cutting onions in food. Ben Liebig, who has been living in the UAE for the last 17 years, said that my family has cut down on the use of onions in their country. He said that onion is such a thing which is used in almost every dish. Most of our dishes always start with tomatoes and onions. Onions are used in our national food Adobo and without onions it would taste totally different.
Gifting onion rings?
Liebig said that whenever we make stew, onions are used in it. From soups to sauces, onions are used in everything. He said that there is a joke in the Philippines that husbands are gifting onion rings to their wives instead of diamond rings. Disrupted supply chain due to Ukraine war, climate change and worldwide inflation are the major reasons behind the sudden increase in onion prices in the Philippines.
Similar situation in Philippines Pakistan
Both Philippines and Pakistan are currently facing severe inflation and the reason behind it is almost the same. In fact, there was a terrible storm in the Philippines last year, which destroyed large-scale agriculture. People from abroad are smuggling onions in suitcases. Last year’s catastrophic flood did something similar in Pakistan. A 20 kg sack of flour is being sold for around Rs 2,800 in Pakistan, which is facing a wheat shortage.
