By Kenneth Marcos 
Market vendors and small shoppers felt relief as lines of onions stacked high in wet markets looked set to keep their prices under control — just in time for holiday cooking.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced it will enforce a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) of ₱120 per kilo for both red and white onions, beginning December 1. The move aims to stop retailers from charging as much as ₱300 per kilo — nearly triple the fair price — amid rising demand for the holiday season.
Officials said the cap reflects the real cost of imported onions, which landed at around ₱60 per kilo — meaning ₱120 still allows reasonable profit margins for suppliers and retailers while preventing price gouging.
The agency’s monitoring arm found that some markets were already selling onions at as high as ₱300 per kilo, fueling fears that overpricing would strain household budgets, especially for families who cook daily.
The DA also noted that supply delays, not shortages, caused the price spikes — and that delay alone does not justify sharply higher costs.
When asked about implementation, the department said that retailers must receive new onion shipments priced at around ₱90 per kilo for the cap to work. Some sellers welcomed the cap, though they asked that it only apply once new stocks arrive — to avoid losses from older stock bought at high rates.
The DA emphasized the price cap is not a permanent solution but a temporary measure to stabilize the onion supply chain and curb “opportunistic mark-ups.” Officials said they will continue monitoring markets to ensure fair pricing, especially during peak demand.
For many families watching every peso, this price cap could mean the difference between a heavier grocery bill or a reasonable one this holiday season.
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