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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Reinventing Valentine bouquets

Reinventing Valentine bouquets

Published Feb 12, 2021 12:38 pm

Manila florists sell coffee, eggplant, pakbet, sili, and face shield bouquets

Flower vendors from Manila's iconic Dangwa flower market are getting creative with the arrangements that they are selling. 

UNIQUE BOUQUETS—Instead of the usual flower arrangements, florist Babes Castro shows off her sili bouquet that costs P500, her talong bouquet costing P359, and a bouquet made of vegetables used to cook pinakbet that is sold for P509 at her stall at the Dangwa flower market in Sampaloc, Manila. (Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN)

Instead of the usual flower arrangements, some vendors are now selling bouquets made of coffee sachets, eggplants, assorted vegetables used for pinakbet, chilis, face shields, and many more.

Each bouquet costs from P350 to P500. 
Babes Castro, one of the flower vendors at Dangwa, said the bouquets are a "practical" choice for those who wish to give "healthy" or practical gifts to their loved ones on Valentine's Day.

"'Pag bumili sila ng talong bouquet, eh di mato-torta nila, maiihaw nila, masasawsaw nila sa bagoong, eh di mauulam nila," she told reporters on Friday, Feb. 12.

"Mas maganda ang talong na local, mahahaba (Local eggplants are better because they are longer)," she jokingly added when asked if the eggplant bouquets she is selling are imported.

The pinakbet and coffee bouquets are the other alternatives.

Castro said one can buy a chili bouquet if he/she wants to celebrate a "hot" Valentine's Day.

As the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, one can also choose to give a bouquet made of face shields to keep his/her Valentine safe from infection. 

The flower vendor admitted that they suffered big losses due to the COVID-19 crisis. She hopes the innovations she made on the Valentine bouquet will attract more customers.

"Pang-attraction sa kanila ito, kung ano 'yung uso dito, 'yung uso ngayon (This is to attract customers, this is what's trendy)," she said.

"Kailangan din namin makabawi dahil lugi (We have to recover from this because we suffered some losses)," she added.

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