DAYS before Valentine’s Day, price of roses being sold by vendors at Bacolod public plaza have significantly increased due to high demand that will culminate on February 14.
From only P20 per stem on regular days, roses were already sold at P80 per stem since Saturday, February 11.
It is expected to even increase to P100 to P150 per stem starting February 13, flower vendor Amy Ochoa said.
Ochoa said that during special occasions, the price of roses, which is the most in demand, normally reaches more than P100 per stem.
Prices of other flowers, on the other hand, have remained stable.
For roses set as bouquet, the current price reaches P1,000. This is about three times higher than only P350 on regular days.
It is expected to increase to P1,500 to P2,000 by Tuesday, depending on the number of stems and decorations used, Ochoa said.
“Surely, the price of roses will still increase as Valentine’s Day nears, but as to how much, it will still depend on its price from the market source,” the vendor added.
All 11 vendors at the plaza are sourcing their flower supply from Luzon, mostly in Baguio City, and Cebu.
Vendors said that aside from availability of supply, the sources also contribute to the movement of prices.
Due to bigger transportation costs, roses coming from Luzon will definitely be sold P15 higher compared to those from Cebu, they said.
As of Monday, February 13, sales were not yet picking up, but vendors are still optimistic that it will improve starting Tuesday, February 14.
“Despite the higher prices of roses, we normally have brisk sales and even experience shortage in supply especially during the actual day of the celebration,” Ochoa said.
Valentine’s Day is one of the special occasions when flower vendors at the plaza earn well, she added.