Onion ‘solution’

We don’t need onions like we need oxygen, without which we can’t survive.

Other than the argument “the government has no option but to import onions” and the reasons why he said it, President Bongbong Marcos must have some real legitimate reasons why he finally approved the Department of Agriculture’s plan/proposal to import 5,775 metric tons of onion. 

Otherwise, it might be construed that the government considers onion to be equally important as the air we breath. My wife has discovered a new art of cooking good dishes without using onion. Just a bit of creativity, patience and momentary “sacrifice” (not importation) is what we need during this time of onion shortage in the country. It’s good that we only have shortage of onions and other staple foods, but not shortage of sensible people in the government – that I desperately want to believe. 

The harvest isn’t too far away for our farm producers to flood again our local market with onions. After this forthcoming harvest in July, it is expected as predicted that we will start having more than enough onions (hopefully so) to bring their prices back to normal. 

Hence, why resort to folly which folly could well put our farmers’ interests at needless risks and at a great disadvantage, not to mention the other varied repercussions it may create which would be detrimental not only to our agriculture sector but also to the nation as a whole? What forced the government to do it or what is forcing some agriculture officials to convince the President to approve the importation? 

To whom it may concern: Halt the importation. 

Why not instead use the money to help Filipino farmers develop their capability to produce, technologically and financially, and by innovative, equitable ways of marketing their harvests at price levels that would make them happy, develop our agriculture industry and ultimately solve the country’s food crisis? 

Could there be something amiss behind the move to import onions? We sorely lack onions at this juncture, admittedly, but not alligators, vultures and wolves in the government. And the President must have been aware of it as much as he should have realized by now that he needs to appoint a fresh, new face as a full-time secretary of agriculture at the soonest possible time.

Not in his time. – Reni M. Valenzuela [email protected]