MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau). Christmas 2022 in the Philippines will be remembered as the time when onions disappeared from the market, and prices rose to unprecedented levels.

Now, an investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) revealed the culprit in this shortage: Christmas trees set up by many Filipinos!

Leave it to the ingenuity of Filipinos to come up with a brilliant idea to decorate their Christmas trees with bulbs — not the lighting kind — but onion bulbs!

Because the Christmas season in the country unofficially begins on September 1, when veteran singer Jose Mari Chan comes out of his hiding with his Christmas carols, Christmas trees have also been put up early, causing the shortage and price increase in onions.

Perhaps next year, it will be the turn of tomatoes?