SOME buyers lamented the high price of some varieties of flowers in Carbon Public Market and the Freedom Park.
Mae Yu, who bought a bundle of wonder whites, said that last year, the flowers were only priced at P50 per bundle. Now it’s P70 to P80.
“Mas mahal karon. Pirti ka mahal. Pirti gani nakong hangyo (It’s much more expensive this year. I had to haggle really hard),” she told SunStar Cebu on Monday, October 29.
Flower vendor Nida Bihag said the price of their flowers will depend on the stocks they get from the mountain barangays of Cebu City, like Sirao and Busay.
“It’s always like this. Prices go up and down),” she said on Tuesday, October 30.
Before the peak month like November, Bihag said that golden chrysanthemums only cost P100 per bundle. Now, it’s P130.
Eddie Suaybaguio and his companion Elizabeth Luba, who went to Carbon from Hilongos, Leyte, said they were surprised that prices of some flower varieties like golden yellow flowers rose from P100 last year to P180 this year.
“Nimahal gyod siya’g dyotay. Amo ni ibaligya ron sa Hilongos, isakay og barko rong gabii (Prices have gone up. We will sell these flowers in Hilongos),” Suaybaguio said.
Annabelle Nable, who sold white and violet orchids and rhodiolas, said the prices of flowers had really gone up.
“It became pricey because some suppliers are already running out of flowers there in Busay,” she said.
Orchids are sold at P350 per bundle, golden rods at P150 and rhodiolas at P80 per bundle.
To attract customers, some vendors offer on-site flower arrangement for P100 to P500.
Jennilyn Condino, who hails from Sirao, offers pre-arranged flowers ranging from two to three layers with complex patterns, like that of a cross.
She said the arrangement itself takes about 20 minutes or less.
“They just pay P200 for labor and they choose what flowers to use,” she said.
Joselyn Baranggan, another vendor, also offers pre-arranged bouquets at P100 to P200.
She said that last year, customers would flock to their stalls as early as October 29.
“Now, sales are low,” she said. (JOB)