Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has renewed calls for stronger safeguards for local onion farmers noting how most of them are affected by the rampant importation.

(BPI photo)

Pangilinan made the call after joining officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) in inspecting 26 twenty-foot containers loaded with an estimated ₱86-million worth of imported red onions at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on Wednesday, June 10.

“Habang nabubulok ang sibuyas ng ating mga magsasaka, ito namang imported onions ay nabulok din matapos maiwan at hindi ma-claim (While our farmers' onions are rotting, these imported onions are also rotting after being left behind and unclaimed),” Pangilinan said.

“Kung ganito ang nangyayari, kailangan nating tanungin kung bakit may pumapasok pang ganitong kalaking volume ng imported onions sa kabila ng sapat na lokal na suplay (If this is what is happening, we need to ask why such a large volume of imported onions is still entering despite the sufficient local supply),” he further said.

As local onions spoil in storage and farmers struggle to sell their harvests, the seizure underscores a persistent concern raised by growers in Nueva Ecija: Imported onions continue to enter the market despite ample local supply.

“Kung lehitimo ang shipment na ito, bakit iniwan na lamang at hindi na-claim? Bakit hindi binayaran ang kaukulang buwis at mga bayarin? Dapat masagot ito upang mapanagot ang mga nasa likod nito at maprotektahan ang ating mga magsasaka (If the shipment is legitimate, why was it left behind and not claimed? Why were the corresponding taxes and fees not paid? This must be answered so that those behind it can be held accountable and our farmers can be protected),” Pangilinan said.

“Bakit tayo mag-iimport kung marami ngang supply dito sa atin? Ito ang tanong na paulit-ulit na lumabas sa ating public hearing. Ang pagpasok ng imported onions sa panahon ng oversupply ay lalo lamang nagpapabagsak sa presyo at nagpapahirap sa ating mga magsasaka (Why should we import when we have plenty of supply here? This is the question that has repeatedly come up in our public hearing. The entry of imported onions during a time of oversupply only further drives down prices and makes our farmers suffer),” he added.

This, he said, validates the concerns raised by farmers during the public hearing he convened in Nueva Ecija on March 26, 2026 under Senate Resolution No. 344.

The resolution seeks a thorough investigation into the collapse of onion farm-gate prices and the continued entry of imported onions despite local oversupply.

Authorities said the shipments arrived between Dec. 13, 2025 and Jan. 23, 2026. The containers were declared abandoned under the CMTA after importers failed to claim the goods and pay the required duties and taxes within the prescribed period.

Authorities later on estimated the red onions from China to be worth P86-million.

Pangilinan, the re-elected chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, vowed to push for greater protection for local farmers.

“Hindi dapat nabubulok ang sibuyas ng ating mga magsasaka, at hindi rin dapat nasasayang ang mga produktong pumapasok sa bansa (Our farmers' onions should not rot, and the products entering the country should not be wasted),” he said.

“Ang kailangan natin ay maayos na pamamahala ng suplay, mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng batas, at mga polisiyang inuuna ang kapakanan ng ating mga magsasaka (What we need is proper supply management, strict law enforcement, and policies that prioritize the welfare of our farmers),” the lawmaker stressed.