BALANGA CITY– The price of onions is going up again and both sellers and buyers at the vegetable section of the public market here on Monday are complaining.
Buyer Tessie Lacson said she was surprised of the price of both the red and white onions. “Ang mahal-mahal, nagulat ako sa presyo. Mataas, mahirap talaga ibenta.”
Red and white onions now cost P170 – P180 per kilo at the Balanga city public market.
Gloria Calara, one of the vendors, said their present buying price is P1,400 for nine kilos of red onions that include defective ones. “Lilinisin mo pa kaya tumubo lang ng P10 puwede na.”
Calara said that they sell red onions now for P170 a kilo from the former price of P100 – P120. “Bumagsak ang presyo pero nagtaas ulit dahil wala daw kasing available na bago at saka storage na yong na-stock na ito, natiktik na at hindi na basa at pangmatagalan na, pang-stock na ito.”
“Meron kasing mura ‘yong basa-basa pero after three days may tubo na. ’Yong puti tumaas din dahil wala nang ani ang Nueva Ecija ng puti at nanggagaling na sa Mindoro, eh, ang transportation mahal kaya P170 din ang presyo, parehas na,” Calara said.
Another vendor, Josephine Macalinao, said their retail price now for red onions is P180 per kilo from the former P100 – P120 while white onions are now priced at P180 also a kilo from the former P90.
“Storage na daw ito, wala na daw ‘yong sariwa, wala na ‘yong bagong ani. Ito ‘yong mga ini-storage nila. Wala ng ani kaya inilalabas na nila.,” the vendor said.
Asked how her present sales are, Macalinao answered “matumal nga kasi, nagugulat din ang mga tao. Dati mura lang ngayon tumaas na naman.”
She said that even garlic registered a slight increase in price now at P120 a kilo from the usual P90 – P100.
