Elected last June, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has struggled to fulfil campaign promises to bring down inflation, which hit 8.7% in January, driven by an 11.2% jump in food prices, the biggest since 2009.
Imported onions, bought mostly from India and China, require sanitary and phytosanitary permits for quarantine and biosecurity purposes.
Steep price rises for eggs and sugar have also whacked up the cost of putting food on the table.
Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics'UNSOLVED' SUPPLY PROBLEMSOfficials say the high inflation was transitory and should ease once supply issues are addressed.
Philippines' onion demand and supply($1 = 54.52 Philippine pesos)Additional reporting by Karen Lema and Eloisa Lopez; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.