Flower prices continue to swell hours before Valentines
By Alexandria Grace Magno
People buying gifts for their loved ones started to crowd the streets of Dangwa last Friday, Feb. 10, and were expected to continue hours before the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
According to some flower vendors in Dangwa, customers should expect price hikes in the following days.
“Depende kung bibili ka na ngayon. Mag iiba kasi presyo niyan,” some of them said, emphasizing that flower prices depend on the customer’s time of purchase.
Vendors who stationed their stalls near the UST gates sold their goods at a slightly higher rate. However, some Thomasian students preferred to flock to the nearby flower market in hopes of negotiating lower prices.
“Ang alam kasi namin mas mura dito [sa Dangwa] kaya hindi na kami bumili sa tabi ng UST […] we’re buying lang naman for myself, ourselves,” College of Tourism and Hospitality Management student Kate Mamburam told TomasinoWeb.
As the celebration nears, Dos Castillas St. Dimasalang Road, Lacson Avenue, Dapitan St. and Maria Clara St. are experiencing traffic congestion since 5:00 p.m. as patrons pick up their floral arrangements from Dangwa.
The Manila-based flower shop destination was expected to be thronged with student buyers, particularly from the universities around the University Belt.
Price hike of best-selling flowers
Compared to normal days, flower prices are slightly higher on days before Valentine’s.
From P130, the price of tulips increased to P150 per piece. 10 stems of gerbera flowers that are initially P250, cost P300–350 today. Sunflowers that were sold at P30 per piece before, now range from P50 to P100.
According to the flower vendors in Dangwa, tulips, gerbera, roses, and sunflowers are this year’s best sellers.
The sellers also mentioned that the price of roses varies depending on their type. The price of a dozen red roses increased from 300 to around P600–700.
There are shops along Dangwa market that sell different varieties of every one’s all-time favorite roses.
“Mas malaki po yung petals nito (Ecuadorian rose), pero kung titingnan mabuti hindi naman po gaanong nalalayo yung laki nila,” a flower vendor said, after being asked on the difference between China and Ecuadorian rose found in their store.
A few stalls found inside Dangwa market also offer raw flowers at a lower price compared to those that were displayed outside.
“Dito po kasi buo pa, may stem pa bale hindi pa na-aarrange,” one of the sellers running the stalls told TomasinoWeb.
Aside from the traditional floral arrangements, other forms of bouquets, such as mixed flowers, teddy bears, money, and chocolate are also seen on the displays around Dangwa.
Undas pricing vs. Valentine’s Day
During the height of the pandemic, it can be remembered that the record of flower sales declined due to the decreasing number of people purchasing.
Flower shops and stalls in Dangwa only returned to business during last year’s observance of Undas, where some of them showed signs of recovery from the pandemic.
Although there were some prices that had a major rollback, prices of in-demand and occasion-based flowers continued to rise.
A dozen roses that would cost only P250 during Undas season, now costs P600 to P700 per dozen.
But unlike other flowers, the prices of sunflowers dropped from P170 to P50 per stem.
And from the carnation and Malaysian mums last Undas, tulips, sunflowers and red roses were the highlight of this month’s occasion. — with reports from Angela Gabrielle Atejera
