Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. has ordered an investigation into the alleged harassment of local policemen in Pangasinan on onion farmers in the province. In a statement, Abalos directed the DILG Region 1 and DILG Pangasinan offices...
Red onions (Photo courtesy of Pixabay) Caritas Philippines urged the government to provide additional support to farmers amid the high prices of onions in the market. The humanitarian and advocacy arm of the Catholic Church made the statement as prices of local red onions now ranged between P500 to...
With the skyrocketing price of onions taking a toll on consumers, various government functionaries are dipping their hands into the crisis in a bid to address the problem. The Office of the Ombudsman recently announced it is investigating the issue, while the Senate recently conducted an inquiry...
Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday, January 19 called out the Philippine National Police (PNP) for harassing an onion farmer who recently testified before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform’s investigation. “Hands off lang po sa mga testigo ng Senado!” the sister of...
by RALPH LAUREN ABAINZA From stews to salads, onion is a staple ingredient in many Filipino dishes. It is no wonder that the exponential increase in the price of onions in the past few months is a heated national issue. Photo: Goh Rhy Yan/Unsplash Due to a variety of factors, like the series of...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL DR. JUN YNARES In January of 2008, there was a book written and published in the United States. The title of the book: “State of the Onion.” The book, written by Julie Hyzy, won the prestigious Anthony Award for “Best Paperback Original” the following year. The Anthony...
"You are killing us!" Romel Calingasan, a municipal agriculturist in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, made the emotional accusation at officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for allowing the importation of onions while the harvest season for onions is underway. Onions are left to rot on the...
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, January 16 urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to heed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call to expand support for onion growers by boosting the government’s assistance for irrigation, and co-financing cold storage facilities to help...
Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials should give premium on arresting big-time smugglers and not punishing ordinary Filipinos grappling with the soaring prices of agricultural products in the Philippines. Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito pointed this out on...
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who also heads the Agriculture department, gave the go signal for his administration’s “calibrated importation” of onions to address its surging prices in the market but protect farmers at the same time. Red onions (Photo courtesy of Pixabay)...
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, January 11 urged the government to delay its plans to import around 22,000 metric tons of onions saying it may be best for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to first observe the harvest of local farmers next week before making any drastic moves. “It’s best...
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Tuesday, January 10 questioned the plan of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to import 22,000 metric of onions saying this would only hurt Filipino farmers. The DA, headed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had earlier bared its...
