Workers unload bags of red onions inside a storage area in Divisoria market in Manila on August 18, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Despite a recent uptick in red onion prices, they are not expected to skyrocket like in previous years as the new batch of local supplies start to come in, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday.

The Onion Story

Based on the DA’s weekly monitoring of commodity prices in Metro Manila markets, onion prices have gone up from around P120 per kilo on average during the last week of December 2024 to more than P140 per kilo this January.

DA spokesperson Arnel De Mesa told reporters that this was probably because the stock of red onions in cold storages were starting to run out.

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“In-announce na naman yan since last year na magtatagal yan hanggang January, February, yung stocks na nasa mga cold storages,” said De Mesa.

But he assured the public that there was no risk of shortage as this was properly planned out in time for the harvest season.

“Timing lang din. Paubos yung sibuyas mo pero parating naman yung harvest mo. Meron nang nagha-harvest ng January. Ang peak kasi ng harvest is January, February, March,” he said.

Based on figures from the Bureau of Plant Industry, there were still nearly 8,500 metric tons of red onions in cold storage nationwide as of January 17, 2025.

'Marami pang stock na imported': Onion prices drop to P17/kg in N. Ecija

Yellow onion stocks meanwhile stood at 1,628.40 metric tons.

The new stocks from the ongoing harvest season are expected to gradually replace these within this quarter.

In 2023, red onion prices in the Philippines shot up to over P500 per kilo due to a lack of domestic supply.

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