Soaring prices and smuggling: The Philippines are in an ‘onion crisis’

Onions now cost more than meat in the Philippines. As the country hits near-unprecedented levels of inflation sparked by natural disasters and a global fuel crisis, the pantry staple is in high demand at even higher prices. Since December 2022, people have been posting prices of onions online and even sharing how they’ve been able to bring onions in from abroad. The government has been cracking down on supposed "onion smuggling" as it attempts to bring prices down through imports.