Some Filipinos reported that meal orders from their favorite local eateries, fast food chains and restaurants are onion-less.
Among those dishes are sisig and shawarma.
“Last time walang sibuyas yung sisig namin, ngayon wala din yung shawarma rice ko. G*g* hirap maging Pinoy. Char,” a Twitter user quipped.
This was also noticed by Akbayan Youth chairperson RJ Naguit when he visited a local eatery.
“Umorder ako ng sisig sa karinderiya sa KNL tapos isang piraso lang ng sibuyas nakita ko. Mind you, dati hitik ito sa sibuyas,” he wrote in the caption, referring to Krus na Ligas.
“Sarap talaga mabuhay sa golden age!” he said in jest.
“Nakakalungkot naman yung paborito kong shawarma walang sibuyas. Yun pa naman isa sa nagpapasarap haha ako na lang mag-adjust [maghi]hiwa nalang [ako] sa bahay,” a Facebook user said in a post.
Customers of popular fast food chains in the country have claimed that the burgers and pizzas they ordered do not have onions.
@flohcainglet Walang sibuyas!!!! #pgserye #eatwithflo #kainseryeniflo #phoodtourph #foodtokph #foodvlogph #foodietokph #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypシ゚viral #burgerkingphilippines #sibuyas ♬ original sound – Floh Cainglet
“Paki-babaan na presyo ng sibuyas pati Burger King tinanggalan na sibuyas yung burger nila,” a Facebook user jokingly said.
Burger King and Greenwich have yet to respond to Interaksyon’s request for confirmation and comment about the claims.
Amid claims about onion-less meals, some Filipinos took to social media to express dismay over the onion supply problem and price hike.
“Dati, wala akong pakialam kung mahal ang kilo ng sibuyas. Pwede namang bawang nalang muna ang panggisa. Pero nung kumain na ako ng pizza at sisig na walang sibuyas, ako po ay affected na,” a Facebook user said.
“‘Di na muna siguro ako kakain ng shawarma,” she added.
“Ramdam ko na ang mahal ng bilihin. Yung sisig na binibili namin sa kanto, wala nang sili, walang sibuyas, walang calamansi. Never thought it’ll come to a point na yung gulay na dating extender lang, naging mas mahal pa sa ineextend,” a social media user said.
Onion shortage, expensive price
Last year, the onion shortage is estimated at about 40,000 to 50,000 metric tons, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. President Danilo Fausto said.
Fausto blamed the Department of Agriculture for this shortage. He said that the agency failed to adequately project the supply and demand for onion.
RELATED: ‘Walang guisado?’: Garlic, onion shortage make Filipinos cry
The low supply of onion and high demand for it during the holidays caused caused a spike in onion prices, DA Deputy Spokesperson Rex Estoperez said in a radio interview last December 28.
Based on DA’s price monitoring on markets in Metro Manila on January 9, red onion costs P480 to P600 per kilo.
RELATED: ‘Don’t buy onions by the kilo’: Pinoys hit Department of Agriculture’s advice
Meanwhile, DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista attributed the skyrocketing prices of onion to high farmgate prices.
“Yan po ang isa sa ating ikinababahala kaya tayo po ay patuloy na makikipagugnayan sa ating mga farmers kasi farmgate pa rin po ang sinasabi ng ating mga tindera, mahal daw po ang bagsak sa kanila. Kailangan po natin matulungan ang mga magsasaka na ibaba ito,” she said.
The Office of the Ombudsman said it will investigate the soaring prices of onions. It will also look into the possible involvement of traders in price manipulation.
The price of onion is projected to go down as the harvest season is expected to begin in the second week of the month, Evangelista said.
Coinciding with this, DA approved the importation of 21,060 metric tons of onions.
Analysts, however, said that the importation may hurt local onion farmers.
RELATED: Import plan to hurt local onion farmers — analysts
Last December, the inflation rate surged to 8.1%, the highest since November 2008. This affected prices of basic commodities in the country.
RELATED: Philippine Dec inflation at 14-year high as food prices jump