Dangwa Flower Market: A Special Delivery

Dangwa Flower Market: A Special Delivery

Also known as the Bulaklakan ng Maynila, Dangwa Flower Market is best place to get flowers at any time of the year because of the unique collection of blossoms that come at a good price. There is definitely no other place like Dangwa in the Metro which makes it extra special. 

By: Laura Lee

The open-air flower market is three streets long and is filled with stall upon stall of vendors selling bundles of flowers of different kinds. Discovered at the year 1976, due to the presence of the Dangwa Tranco company which delivered fresh flowers at the time, thus marking it a known spot for selling afforable fresh flowers and the name Dangwa Flower Market was created.

Dangwa Flower Market is the ultimate “go to” place for Filipinos to purchase flowers. It provides convenience for the consumers by giving them a wide location wherein they may look at the collection of blossoms that come from different provinces of the Philippines. Flowers are a necessity in most events whether it may be joyous celebrations from weddings or anniversaries to sending your condolences to a loved one who passed away. A celebration is not complete without flowers and evidently, to purchase flowers in the city is high-priced. Especially during peak seasons such as Valentine’s day, All Soul’s Day, and Mother’s day, the prices of flowers you would find in flower shops and in malls in the city shoot up. Unlike in Dangwa, the prices would also shoot up during peak seasons but the price would still be considered reasonable most especially when you buy flowers in bundles or packages. Not only does Dangwa sell flowers individually, but you may also buy them in packages and bouquets. For any occasion, Dangwa is able to supply one’s flower demands and may package them in any way the customer wants. For example, if you are planning to give your loved one a bouquet for Valentine’s day, you may ask them to design the bouquet however you would want it to look like. Mix-matching of flower selections is allowed and they may package it of your choice. The flower stalls in Dangwa have a wide variety of flowers such as roses, sunflowers, chocolate flowers, carnations, tulips, liliums, gerberas, malaysian mums, cattleyas, orchids, statice, stargazers and many more. Because of this, Dangwa also gives its consumers a variety of deals to consider when purchasing flowers. Dangwa is known to be the best place to acquire flowers but little does the consumers know the long process these vendors and store owners have to go through to produce the best, yet inexpensive flowers to sell to their consumers.

Dangwa shop owners and vendors work really hard to maintain their flowers. These flowers are brought to Dangwa Flower Market via trucks from different parts of the Philippines like Baguio city, La Trinidad, Benguet, and Cebu city. Sometimes these flowers are even imported with the use of airplanes from countries such as Thailand and Ecuador. These flowers are being planted and grown in the different parts of the country to ensure their full growth due to the non-polluted air they have in the provinces. Once these flowers mature enough to be picked and sold, they are immediately brought and shipped to Dangwa because the lifespan of flowers do not last long and as a result, should be sold as soon as possible. According to the florists in Dangwa, the average lifespan of most of the flowers last up to 2 weeks and then after a period of 2 weeks, the flowers start to wilt and are no longer fresh. Delivery of the flowers from designated provinces to Dangwa would be around 5-8 PM daily which is why the best time to go to Dangwa to buy fresh flowers would be around that time because the flowers are newly delivered and still very fresh. Once the flowers are brought to the shops, they are promptly cut and soaked in water to extend the life of the flowers and to keep it from wilting. During the summer, these flowers, depending on the kind are stored in coolers with ice to prevent damage of the flowers because of the immense heat the Philippines experiences during the months of late March to late May. The following day, the flowers are to be arranged and assorted by their kind and some would be fixed in groups which would then cost less when bought in groups. The prices of the flowers range according to their size and kind. The bigger and imported flowers cost more than those of which that are smaller and cost less to deliver. When the flowers are not bought and are no longer fresh to sell, the vendors would just throw these flowers away since they are no longer capable of being bought and have no more value.

Being open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, Dangwa vendors do experience difficulty in their day to day livelihood. The lack of infrastructure in the Philippines really slows down the pace of the businesses of these shop owners for the reason that if our country had wider and more stable roads, it would be easier for the flowers to be delivered to Sampaloc, Manila, where Dangwa Flower Market is situated. As a result, businesses would be faster and if the flowers are delivered as soon as possible, then more money would come in and would circulate. However, due to the relaxed system we have in our country, these deliveries just need to compromise with the infrastructure we have as of the moment. In relation to that, parking is also very difficult to attain in Dangwa. During a visit to Dangwa in the past month, I was shocked to find out that there were no parking slots for Dangwa Flower Market alone. There would be parking in some fast foodchain restaurants but the lack of a parking lot makes it really difficult for consumers to go there and check out the blossoms because of the hassle they will experience. Another problem Dangwa florists and shop owners experience is despite the little income the shop receives, they still have to pay tax to the government leaving them with less than what they work for. Flower shops in Dangwa do not earn as much because flowers are not a basic necessity in life, therefore it is not much of a stable business as compared to those companies that buy and sell food and/or clothes. Moreover, peak seasons of flowers only happen only a few times in a year. If the vendors are lucky then they are also able to supply flowers for certain and big events. Finally, due to immense traffic we experience here in Metro Manila, time and gas are being wasted in the process of delivery rather than getting the flowers delivered at a faster time. The Philippines is known for the unbearable traffic. Last year, Manila was even named “Worst city to drive on earth” because taking a car in Manila would even prolong the time to take you to wherever you need to go. Because of this, the whole process of delivery is being delayed and gas is also being wasted. 

There is more to just fragrant and beautiful flowers in Dangwa Flower Market. It is a very convenient place for consumers because of the wide variety of flowers available. These flowers are well-maintained and taken care of by the vendors to assure the quality of the flowers. Despite that, the florists of Dangwa Flower Market do experience difficulty in their everyday lives because of some factors. However, they do not let these difficulties affect the quality of their flowers. I highly suggest that you go visit Dangwa Flower Market once in your life because it definitely beats all your trips to the flower shops at the mall or near your Church. It’s a good story to tell and definitely a good experience to share.