The Ilocos Region has the best comparative advantage in garlic production because of its agroclimatic suitability. It is the largest garlic-producing region in the country contributing 74.9% (1,986.66 hectares or ha) of the total area planted to garlic (2,563.97 ha) and 65.92% (4,983.05 metric tons or MT) of the country’s total production of 7,559 MT in 2018 (CountrySTAT Philippines 2019).
From 2009 to 2013, the Philippines experienced a decrease in area planted to garlic from 3,551.94 ha to 2,539.16 ha, respectively (Table 1). The country’s volume of garlic production also showed the same downward trend from 10,451 MT in 2009 to 8,986.35 MT in 2013. Similarly, area planted to garlic in the Ilocos Region declined from 2,741 ha in 2009 to 1,863.90 ha in 2013. The region’s volume of production decreased from 7,477.77 MT in 2009 to 5,718.22 MT in 2013.
