The Philippines Should Be a Food Export Giant—So Why Are We Importing Onions, Meat, Eggs, and Seafood?

The Philippines, a country supposedly blessed with rich soil, warm waters, and farmers who can grow crops in their sleep, is set to import 4,000 metric tons of onions to meet domestic demand. Let that sink in—we’re literally buying onions from other countries when we have the perfect climate to grow them ourselves.

Beyond onions, the country also imports large quantities of rice, meat, eggs, and seafood—all of which we should be drowning in.

Now, before we go any further, let’s be clear: Importation is not bad per se. Some products simply cannot be produced locally due to climate, resources, or economic viability. Just like in LCIF, where we recognize that some dietary choices depend on necessity, the same logic applies to importation.

The issue here is not importation itself, but our heavy reliance on it for products we are fully capable of producing. Instead of being a global supplier, we are acting like a customer at an all-you-can-import buffet. That’s the real problem.

The Food Shortage and Importation

The Bureau of Plant Industry reports that the country consumes approximately 17,000 metric tons of red onions and 4,000 metric tons of white onions each month. Yet, instead of producing enough locally, we continue to turn to imports.

Likewise, despite having a strong livestock and aquaculture industry, we import pork, beef, chicken, eggs, and seafood to meet demand.

Government officials claim that importation will stabilize supply and prevent price spikes—as if they haven’t been saying this for decades. But it raises an important question: Why are we failing to produce enough food for our own people?

Agriculture and Fisheries: Supposed Strengths of the Philippines

The Philippines is an agricultural and fishing nation. We have farmlands that stretch for miles, seas overflowing with marine life, and a workforce that has been farming and fishing for generations.

Yet, despite all these advantages, we still import rice, garlic, sugar, onions, meat, eggs, and seafood—all of which we should be exporting like a boss.

Rather than being a food-exporting powerhouse, we’ve spent decades failing to build the necessary systems to make this happen.

Why Are We Failing to Produce Enough?

Several factors contribute to the decline of our agricultural and fishing industries:

1. Lack of Government Support – Farmers and fisherfolk work harder than politicians during election season, yet they get little financial aid, outdated equipment, and no real incentives.
2. Middlemen and Cartels – These guys swoop in like vultures, buy farm produce dirt cheap, then sell it at ridiculously high prices, laughing all the way to the bank.
3. Land and Water Resource Misuse – Farmlands become subdivisions, fishing areas turn into resorts, and before you know it, our food supply is on a one-way trip from another country.
4. Importation Policies – Instead of investing in local agriculture, the government throws a welcome party for imported goods, leaving local producers struggling to compete.
5. Climate and Infrastructure Issues – While typhoons, poor storage, and lack of irrigation contribute to losses, these are challenges that can be mitigated with the right investments and policies. However, they are often used as excuses rather than actual reasons for our continued reliance on imports.

Who Benefits From Importation?

The most frustrating part? The Philippines could have easily been an agricultural and fisheries export powerhouse since 1987. That’s over three decades of missed opportunities to build a strong, self-sustaining food production system. Instead of establishing ourselves as a major global supplier, we’ve spent years lining the pockets of importers, traders, and foreign suppliers—while our own farmers and fisherfolk struggle to make ends meet.

And who’s to blame for this? The elected politicians who have had years—if not lifetimes—to fix this problem. Instead of prioritizing food security, they’ve chosen the easy route of importation, making it a profitable business for a select few at the cost of national self-sufficiency.

While importation is sold to us as a “quick fix”, it’s really a long-term trap. The real winners?

• Importers and traders who profit from bringing goods into the country. Import permits = big money.
• Foreign suppliers who get a steady customer base from the Philippines. Why produce your own when you can make us buy theirs?
• Middlemen who dictate farmgate prices, ensuring farmers earn peanuts while they rake in millions.
• Government officials and policymakers who sign off on importation deals while promising self-sufficiency in their campaign speeches.

Importation makes a few people rich while keeping the entire country dependent and vulnerable. Sounds fair, right? (Spoiler: It’s not.)

What Needs to Change?

If the Philippines wants to stop being an import-dependent nation, we need serious reforms:

• Invest in local farming and aquaculture – Give farmers and fishers actual support instead of just sympathy.
• Control market manipulation – Crack down on cartels and middlemen who drive up prices.
• Improve post-harvest and storage facilities – Because losing half the harvest to bad storage is just plain stupid.
• Prioritize local produce – The government should buy from Filipino farmers first before looking abroad.

What Can We Do as Individuals?

While we wait for the government to wake up—though let’s be honest, it’s hard to wake up people who are only pretending to be asleep—we can take action ourselves:

• Support Local Farmers and Fisherfolk – Buy Filipino-grown food instead of imported goods.
• Advocate for Policy Change – Blast it on social media, sign petitions, and demand better agriculture policies.
• Reduce Food Waste – Every wasted meal is a lost opportunity to support our food producers.
• Invest in Local Agribusiness – Got extra cash? Fund a local farm or fishery.
• Educate Others – Spread awareness about the dangers of excessive imports and the need for self-sufficiency.
• Practice Self-Sustaining Farming – Grow your own onions, raise chickens, or try backyard fishing. Even small steps help.
• Join NGOs and Advocacy Groups – Support organizations like the LCIF Association, which promotes sustainable food production and local agriculture.

Final Thought: From Importer to Exporter

The Philippines should be an agricultural and fisheries powerhouse, yet we are importing food we should be exporting. Instead of enriching foreign suppliers, we should be empowering our own farmers and fisherfolk, ensuring food security for Filipinos.

If we don’t fix this now, we’ll keep losing our self-sufficiency, forcing future generations to rely on imports for basic food supplies. This cycle of dependency weakens our national food security and economic resilience.

A country that cannot feed itself is a country that cannot truly be independent. If we ever want to stand tall as a food-exporting nation, we need to start now—because import dependency is not the future we deserve.