ILOILO City – The rush is on to get that special someone something special, with Valentine’s Day just days away. But prepare yourself to spend more if flowers are a part of your gift.
Red roses, particularly, are becoming expensive. Prices depend on the size, quantity and arrangement.
Right now, a stem of rose costs between P70 and P80. But by Feb. 14, it is projected to cost between P100 and P150, according to flower vendors.
A dozen of red roses (with arrangement), on the other hand, costs between P1,500 to P1,600.
But anticipating haggling from price-conscious buyers, flower vendors are prepared to offer a budget-friendly option – between P400 to P500 for a bouquet of four red roses (already arranged).
Mary Grace Gabrido, flower vendor for over 30 years now at the Iloilo Central Market, is excited. Feb. 13 and 14, she said, are the days when sales really do pick up.
Her best-sellers are red roses, carnations, stargazers, statice, gypsophila, Malaysian mumps, gerbera, paper roses and Ecuadorian rose (blue) which is the most expensive at P500 per stem.
“Masaka na kon Feb. 14 kay nagasaka man presyo sa ginakuhaan namon,” said Gabrido.
She and fellow vendors get their flowers from Baguio City, Cebu and Metro Manila suppliers.
Last month, said Gabrido, a stem of rose cost just between P30 to P40.
She expressed confidence that despite the rising prices, sales would be brisk.
“Kay once a year lang man ang Valentine’s Day,” said Gabrido.
Last year and in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Valentine’s Day sales were down – just around P10,000.
On the other hand, pre-pandemic sales, said Gabrido, reached P20,000 on Valentine’s Day.
This year, she peddles the following:
* Paper roses – P250 per stem
* Ecuadorian roses (blue) – P500 per stem
* Red and white roses – P70 per stem
* Carnation – P60 per stem
* Statice – P200 per bundle
* Gypsophila – P250 per stem
* Malaysian mumps – P300 per dozen
* Gerbera – P50 per stem
Aside from flowers, she also sells teddy bears – P250 for small and P500 for big – and and love balloons (P100 apiece).
“Naga-pray kami nga magdamo ang mabakal sa amon,” said Janine Tacusalme, flower vendor for over 20 years already.
It’s not only the young that buy flowers on Valentine’s Day but also the elderly, she had observed.
Tacusalme also said some buy flowers on Valentine’s Day not for the living but for their dead loved ones.
RM Diogenes, owner of Diogenes Flower Shop at the Iloilo Central Market, said vendors are willing to adjust prices “depende kon ano ang masarangan sang bumalakal.”
He offers pocket-friendly packages such as a bouquet of six roses worth P800; and a basket of flowers, chocolate, balloons and cake worth P2,500 to P3,500.
Before the pandemic truck, said Diogenes, his sales were between P20,000 to P40,000 on Valentine’s Day.
“Subong hina pa gid kay pandemic. Lain gid sang una nga wala pandemic,” said flower vendor Jane Girawa who had been selling flowers for the past eight years in Jaro district./PN
