Prices of flowers sold at the Dangwa Flower Market have already increased as vendors anticipate a surge in demand in the lead up to Valentine’s Day. 

As of February 12, the prices of common flowers are as follows:  

Sunflowers are P80 per stem and P400 for a bundle of 10. Daisies can be bought for P150 per 10 pieces.  

Carnations are sold for P550 for a bundle of 10, Tulips cost P1000 for 10 pieces, while flower fillers cost P150 per bundle.  

Buyers can get a 14-piece bundle of dried roses for P650 to P700, while an arranged dried flower bouquet can go as low as P300 to P1,500. China roses, meanwhile, are sold for a bundle price of P500 for 10 pieces to P2,500 for 20 pieces and above.  

Baguio roses, notably smaller than China’s, are sold per stem for P50 to P150 and at a bundle price of P700 to P900 for 22 pieces.  

Arranged bouquets, meanwhile, are available for a range of P1500 to P4,000, depending on the materials and flowers used. However, buyers can also opt for arrangement services for a P300 labor fee.  

Vendors told the Manila Forefront that the price increase took effect on Saturday, Feb. 10, as their suppliers hiked prices.  

Despite this, Cassandra, a junior student from Las Piñas, visits the flower market every Valentine’s Day. 

“[M]as marami kasing choices dito and mas fresh ‘yung flowers,” she said.  

Cassandra claims that the increasing prices are not an issue for her as they are always expected to surge days before, so as a solution, she makes sure to shop early to avoid high prices. 

Although they anticipated high demand, rose vendor Micheal Durero said that they still throw out a lot of unsold flowers after the occasion. 

“[M]edyo marami na rin yung bulaklak [na binebenta] namin [pero] medyo marami rin yung tinapon namin,” he said.  

Over a thousand customers are expected to flock the Dangwa Flower Market on Feb. 14. – Janica Kate J. Buan