A Blooming Business

"Blooming" Business

By: Danica Coronel

Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a market, without the fishy smell, the slimy fish, the wet greens and the raw meat. Better yet, envision yourself in a market with a fresh scent of floral notes from flowers to your left and to your right. Now open your eyes, and read what it is really like being surrounded by the most colourful blooms in the Metro and entice yourself to even visit it yourself. 

Tulips, Orchids, Daisies and Roses are the usual suspects in Dangwa. What about the Birds of Paradise? the Anthuriums? the Spider Whites? or the various succulents? that make the Dangwa Flower Market boom or should I say “Bloom”.

Dangwa?

Dangwa is the number one “go-to” place for anyone with flower necessities since it supplies the freshest and most colorful flower variants in the Metro. Also known as the “Flower Capital of Manila”, it is simply located beside the Dangwa Tranco bus terminal in Sampaloc, Manila, where buyers go the distance just to purchase their fresh blooms. I personally traveled a good hour from the metropolitan area of Makati to check out this commonly raved about place myself. When I arrived, I was welcomed by a succession of stalls selling buckets and buckets of the most colorful flowers I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Trimmings of flower petals and leaves in different shapes and colors were scattered across the road between stalls as vendors were working hard creating the grandest and most impressive flower arrangements for their customers. Literally hundreds of roses stacked on top of each other were seen at every stall, creating a real life bed of roses in colors you wouldn’t imagine roses to have. Yellow roses, pink roses and blue roses, clearly surpassing the mainstream red colored roses found in any and every flower shop. The typical Carnations, Mums and Gerbers were organized in bins, bundled by color and displayed right in front of the stalls that gave passers by the most vibrant and aesthetically pleasing view that as a matter of fact, could “colour their day”. You name the flower, and one of the numerous stalls are bound to have it. Walking the lane with flower stalls to my left and right, nothing but the mixed scents of floral lingered around the area.

Also known as the Bagsakan ng mga Bulaklak in Filipino, translated to the “Drop off of Flowers”, flowers variants from all over the world like; Holland, Thailand, China, and Malaysia are dropped off in Dangwa. “Buses would usually start to arrive at 1:00 to 4:00 in the morning to deliver fresh flowers” said in an interview with a flower vendor in Dangwa during my visit. Hence this flower market is considered to be a ‘night market’ as well, open 24 hours 7 days a week. During the interview, the vendor mentioned that people flock the market even at the most ungodly hours which is 3 in the morning, just so that the flowers being purchased are newly delivered and still at their freshest. Flowers were even wrapped in clear plastic to ensure freshness, and protection when they were delivered.

Hundreds of Roses forming a real life Bed of Roses

Who goes there?

The usual individuals who go all the way to Dangwa are those who need to purchase flowers in bulk, may it be for a special holiday, a funeral, an event or a grand party. Moreover, people who are getting married canvas for their floral arrangements in Dangwa since there are stalls that specifically cater to weddings, debuts, parties, and the like. Even notable flower shops seen in malls, and famous florists of the country pay Dangwa a visit, despite it being a typical local market because of the wide array of florals. Husbands, boyfriends and lovers who are on a budget and yet still have to show their affection to their significant other through flowers visit Dangwa to get the most impressive flower arrangements at a very affordable price. The greater part of Dangwa is the fact that it is easy to personalize your arrangement, boquets can be set according to your personal preference, along with adjusting it to fit the budget.

Contrary to popular belief...

Surprisingly, amidst all the thousands of mainstream flowers, Dangwa is more than just that. Stalls carry exotic flower variants, plastic flowers and even succulents for those consumers unenthusiastic towards flowers. Rare flowers and succulents such as Anthuriums, Spider Whites, Lotuses and rare breeds of orchids are some variants that cannot easily be found in famous flower shops. Since I am not very fond of flowers, I was glad to find something different in Dangwa— these minuscule potted, plastic looking plants called “Succulents”. Succulents are plants that are known to have longer life spans than normal flowers since they are usually thicker, fleshier and thus can absorb and retain water better. According to the vendor in Dangwa, the succulents that are highly in demand are the Aloe vera, the Barrel Cactus, the Golden Pothos and the Arrowhead Vine. Just like flowers, they are highly fascinating and can be kept indoors requiring little sunlight and water. On my opinion, though succulents may not be as colorful and grand like normal flowers, they still provide an aesthetic element or an ‘exotic look’ perfect for a terrarium. Into the bargain, these potted plants can be bought at very cheap prices that range from 30-100 pesos depending on the size and type of plant.

Plastic looking, minuscule potted plants called Succulents

More than just flowers

What to expect…

“Parang palengke lang ang Dangwa, pero bulaklak ang binibenta” in other words, “Dangwa is like any other local market, although flowers are being sold”, said by one of the flower vendors in Dangwa. Since Dangwa is considered to be a “Market”, market ‘rules’ apply just like when you’re buying fruits and vegetables, although in this case, you’re buying solely flowers and plants. Dangwa is home to flowers and other interesting plants that are ‘good finds’ although can be overwhelming for a first time visitor. Some things should be kept in mind to guarantee a well-spent visit, flowers can be bought both is wholesale or retail prices, meaning that prices are negotiable. “Mahirap tumawad dito sa Dangwa kasi wholesale na ang precio na binibigay namin compara sa ibang tindahan sa mall” or “It is hard to ask for discounts here in Dangwa because we price our flowers already at wholesale as compared to flower shops in malls”. Flowers are initially priced cheap as compared to commercial flower shops, though haggling is still allowed when purchasing flowers in bulk or when canvasing arrangements for a certain event. It is advised by a Dangwa stall vendor too ‘canvas properly’ and go through most if not all stalls though it may be a tedious task because each stall may sell different variants from the other. All the more, the 40 stalls may sell the same flowers just at different prices, this flower market, like any other market is a business, so vendors will try their best to make a profit. Another tip from the flower vendor is, buyers need to already know, even just a gist of what they want to buy or what they are in Dangwa for because the market can get overwhelming at times. I eventually perceived all the flowers as just one type just in different colors because the amount was just too mind-boggling.

Things to keep in mind;

It is important to keep in mind that Dangwa is like any other market that gets busy and very crowded at certain times. Vendors usually sell a lot of flowers during “peak seasons” such as Valentines Day or All Souls day, implying that flower prices inevitably will hike up in order for them to make more profit. Also, flower enthusiasts who are picky about purchasing the freshest flowers, the best time to go to Dangwa is at 1 to 3o’clock in the morning where the flowers were just dropped off, and will avoid the hustle and bustle of traffic in the metro. Scheduling your visits to Dangwa will save you a lot of time and energy. Making friends with the vendors may benefit you in the long run since you will be one of their “suki” or “common buyers”, so that in the future occasions when you are in need of flowers, they can give you a bigger discount or better deal since you frequently buy from them.

Final Thoughts?

            In the end, Dangwa is a place for anyone who has the patience to travel a great distance from the metropolitan areas of Manila for the high quality, fresh and beautiful blooms at an affordable price. I was very much surprised to find out that the Philippines does have a “blooming” flower business through my visit to Dangwa though it may be located in an area you wouldn’t expect it to be at. Anyone with or without a penchant for flowers will find their visit to Dangwa an interesting one. Furthermore, tourists even make it a point to visit Dangwa because it has been considered to be a tourist destination in the Philippines. Everyone needs some color in their lives, and Dangwa is the place to go!

Organized blooms in baskets that sure "colored" my visit

Dangwa in the Day