Valentine’s Day, Panagbenga driving demand for Benguet cut flowers

EVE OF ‘DAY OF ROMANCE’ DEMAND Specialty flower stalls scattered around downtown Baguio put out their best bouquets and flower arrangements on Thursday, in preparation for this year’s Valentine’s Day. Despite the rise in cost of living in the Cordillera in January and because of the seasonal demand, some vendors are still able to sell bouquets of roses and other flowers grown in Benguet for P500. —NEIL CLARK 0NGCHANGCO

BAGUIO CITY—Flower farms in Benguet province have kept up with the growing demand for Valentine’s Day and local festivities, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Cordillera said on Wednesday.

As one of the country’s top producers of cut flowers, Benguet’s gardeners have ensured a steady supply of roses, chrysanthemums and other blooms.

According to the DA, Benguet’s flower industry continues to thrive as a total of 276.74 hectares of rose farms in the province produced 9.416 million dozen roses in 2024, with February traditionally seeing the highest cut flower yield.

“Historically, the month of February has the highest [cut flower] production, and we have not received any untoward instances or strong weather events that would have damaged cut flower greenhouses so production this month may not have been hampered,” DA Cordillera director Jennilyn Dawayan told the Inquirer.

The agency is still validating production reports for January and the early days of February this year.

However, in February last year, Benguet gardeners produced 934,139 dozen roses, 5.79 million dozen chrysanthemums (out of the 2024 total of 52.66 million dozen), 325,578 dozen anthuriums (from a yearly total of 3.75 million dozen), 187,742 dozen statice (out of 1.42 million dozen grown in 2024) and 222,120 dozen alstroemeria (from the 2024 total of 2.72 million dozen).

Beyond the usual Valentine’s Day rush, the annual Baguio Flower Festival or Panagbenga also began driving up the demand for cut flowers, particularly for the Grand Float Parade on Feb. 23, where participants showcase elaborate floats adorned with fresh blooms.

Despite the abundant supply, some Baguio flower vendors reported sluggish retail sales, which only picked up on Feb. 13, the eve of Valentine’s Day.

Prices varied, with single-stem roses selling for as much as P150, locally arranged bouquets at P500, and bouquets with imported flowers priced at P2,500. Some vendors also offered roses imported from China.

THE HEALTHY GIFT Bouquets made of vegetables are a shoo-in this Valentine’s Day, such as these ones prepared at the Department of Agriculture-Institutional Development Unit in the Cagayan Valley region on Wednesday, an alternative to the flowers and chocolates that usually flood the markets. —VILLAMOR VISAYA JR.

‘Love bouquets’

In the Cagayan Valley region, Valentine’s Day is also a celebration of healthy living, thanks to the growing popularity of “love bouquets” made from fresh vegetables.

Priced between P400 and P700, these unique arrangements feature an assortment of produce, including eggplants, chili, peppers, onions and ginger, according to Sheila Marie Orpilla, chief of DA’s Institutional Development Unit in Cagayan Valley.

“These bouquets not only bring simple joy through nutritious food but also provide additional income and a sense of fulfillment for the farmers who cultivate them,” Orpilla said.

Last year, more than 100 vegetable bouquets were sold on Valentine’s Day by the DA in Cagayan Valley, and Orpilla hoped demand would double this year.

The DA sources vegetables for the love bouquets from Kadiwa-accredited stores in the region. Farmer Mariano Bassig, 63, believes these edible bouquets are a better alternative to traditional chocolates or inedible flowers, offering both beauty and sustenance.