Lacks context: Does red onion now cost P170 per kilo?

January 2, 2023 - 4:35 PM
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Photo shows Senator Imee Marcos selling red onions for P170 per kilo in a Kadiwa store (Senator Imee R. Marcos/Facebook)

Claim: Several social media users claimed that red onion costs P170 per kilo.

This is cheaper than the Department of Agriculture’s price monitoring on December 29 which shows that a kilo of red onion ranges from P500 to P750. 

The social media posts also feature Senator Imee Marcos selling red onions. 

“At least ang presyo nasa P170 hindi po ako kontento diyan kahit na sinasabi na P250 ang limitasyon kasi hindi naman kailanman umabot ng P170 ang sibuyas,” Marcos said in a video. 

A TikTok user also thanked Imee for making the price of red onion cheaper. 

RATING: The posts that claim that red onion costs P170 per kilo lack context

FACTS

The red onions that were being sold for P170 per kilo can only be found in Kadiwa stores. 

The Kadiwa store is a program of the DA that allows consumers to buy goods at a cheaper price. 

This is the response of the administration to the raising costs of commodities. 

However, these stores are only limited to certain areas. 

It should also be noted that the video of Marcos talking about the cheaper price of red onion was recorded during her visit to one of the mobile Kadiwa stores in Barangay 177, Tondo, Manila on December 31. 

Why it matters

One of the TikTok videos has more than 430,900 views, 18,400 likes, and 1,096 comments on TikTok, as of press time. 

Marcos also continued to gain praise for supposedly making the price of red onion cheaper. 

This story is part of the Philippine Fact-check Incubator, an Internews initiative to build the fact-checking capacity of news organizations in the Philippines and encourage participation in global fact-checking efforts.

Interaksyon is part of #FactsFirstPH, a multi-sectoral initiative promoting truth in public space and demanding accountability for falsehoods. For those interested to join the initiative, email [email protected]

Interaksyon is also a founding partner of Tsek.ph, a collaborative fact-checking project for the 2022 Philippine elections. It is an initiative of academe, civil society groups and media to counter disinformation and provide the public with verified information.