Smuggling, leakages, unchecked onion imports and weak government coordination are driving Filipino onion farmers deeper into crisis, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson warned on Thursday.
Speaking during a Senate hearing on the continuing collapse of onion farm-gate prices, Lacson said inconsistent government data and poor agency response are preventing authorities from making sound decisions for the agriculture sector.
“How can we arrive at effective decisions if your data is disjointed? It is very important that your data is complete and accurate so we can plan properly. In military operations, if the assumptions are wrong, the soldiers get killed and we experience a debacle,” he told representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
A PSA representative told the panel that the Philippines produced 308,660 metric tons of onions in 2025, a figure Lacson said could indicate a surplus of about 13,000 metric tons.
However, the veteran lawmaker pointed out that onion imports reached 94,000 metric tons in the same year and could have climbed to as much as 150,000 metric tons once smuggling and leakages are factored in.
He also cited DA data showing 245,988 metric tons of onion production in 2025 across Regions 1, 2, 3 and Mimaropa, which he said would instead point to a shortage of 22,035 metric tons when extrapolated.
“That’s how big the difference in your data is. It seems the communication gap between the DA and stakeholders is very wide. Are stakeholders being consulted by the DA? How often? Or if they are consulted, are the stakeholders being heard?” asked Lacson.
He also rebuked the DA for failing to act quickly on the plight of onion growers in Occidental Mindoro and said the continued neglect of problems reflects deeper dysfunction in the country’s agricultural bureaucracy.
“It’s a matter of coordinating with each other and consulting with stakeholders, which you are not doing,” the senator said.
