Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 29) – Amid skyrocketing prices, President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is trying to sell smuggled onions in markets as a means to address the supply problem.

“We’re trying to find ways to bring these smuggled onions that have been caught na ilagay na sa market para mabawasan ang supply problem,” he said. “But, there’s some legal issues to doing that immediately so we’re still working on that.”

[Translation: So we can place these in the markets in order to reduce the supply problem.]

It was reported on Wednesday that the price of red onion had jumped to over ₱700 per kilogram — a sevenfold increase from its ₱100 per kilo price six months ago.

READ: Red onion prices soar to over ₱700 per kilo

The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier attempted to sell 100,000 kilograms of smuggled onions in Kadiwa markets. However, this did not pan out as it was determined that the stocks were not safe for consumption.

READ: DA: 100k kilograms of smuggled white onions will no longer be sold at Kadiwa markets

In this particular case the onions were not stored properly, leading to spoilage. As they were no longer safe for consumption and posed potential health risks, the confiscated onions were either buried or burned.

Marcos added “We will stick firmly to the recommended price. The DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] will continue to monitor…but we will keep the prices down by monitoring what is happening in our palengke (markets).”

The DTI can work with the DA on commodity price monitoring. Red onion is not officially among commodities monitored by the DTI but is included in the DA’s price monitoring.

Meanwhile, the DA said that the price spike of onion could be a result of hoarding and price manipulation.

READ: DA: Price manipulation, smuggling possible causes of spike in red onion prices