(SPOT.ph) Surrounded by a myriad of blooms and quick-handed florists on February 15, James Magno—called Jam by those employed at Nene’s Flower Shop in Dangwa, Manila—rests on a stool at the corner of the store. This might be the only downtime he gets before Valentine’s Day is over for real, even though the holiday technically ended a day ago.
"Two days kaming naka-on duty as in dire-diretso kasi pumapasok nang pumapasok yung mga walk-in client, online client," he said. As he answers our questions, an influx of clients arrives, keeping everyone busy at the store.
Nene's Flower Shop along Laong Laan Road has a pretty storefront with pricier blooms kept in-store.
PHOTO BY Jilson Tiu
Known simply as Dangwa to those on the search for affordable flowers, the market nestled in the Sampaloc area of Manila has grown over the past decades, extending its limbs from Dos Castillas Street up to Dimasalang Road, Lacson Avenue, and Maria Clara Street. Magno’s shop is rooted along Laong Laan Road, where it sits beside many flower stores just like it.
Is it better to buy flowers from Dangwa Flower Market in Manila after Valentine’s Day?
For all the characters that keep the flower enclave moving, the day of hearts can last up to a week, with two to three days after Valentine’s Day spent fulfilling remaining orders. There’s some adage about going there after Valentine’s Day to avoid the steep prices brought about by peak season, but Magno clarified the price can stay the same for up to three days.
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“Meron siyang two day span na same siya ng price. If Valentine’s [is] February 14, sa 15 and 16, same price pa rin siya as Valentine’s Day. Nag-eextend yungpricepero bumababa naman yon after. Depende naman yan sa shop kung bababa pa yon or hindi, pero sa amin, with our experience for how many years, ganon ginagawa namin,” he told SPOT.ph.
“Hindi namin ine-expect kung hanggang kailan yung Valentine’s kasi minsan kahit February 17 na, Valentine’s pa rin kasi maraming humahabol,” he said.
As long as it's a flower—even the dried kind—you can find it at Dangwa
PHOTO BY Jilson Tiu
Neighboring store Gemma’s Flower Shop greets clients with a circle of women crouched on stools arranging flowers into bundles. All hands are busy—so preoccupied that the shop had to borrow a temporary staffer just to meet demands, even a day after Valentine’s.
“Fourteen ang Valentine’s Day, pero 15, 16, may mga humabol pa. Five days after, saka lang makakapahinga. Pero samin mga one day, two days na pahinga lang sila, tapos balik na ulit sa work,” said Diane Sabado from Gemma’s, which remains open on weekends.
“Kami naman hindi kami nagtataas ng presyo ng dahil lang sa season. Tulad nito, Valentine’s Day. Minsan, kaya lang kami nagtataas dahil mataas din yung supplier namin. One week after Valentine’s back to normal na,” she added.
The fresh flower market got its name from the Dangwa Tranco Terminal, a nearby bus station. In a 2004 piece by writer Wilson Lee Flores, he noted that the station served as a landing pad for fresh blooms all the way fromBaguioand Cordillera, thus becoming a flower haven in the '80s and '90s. Fast forward to today—ask any person in love looking for a sweet deal on roses and the first place to look will always be Dangwa.
At its peak pre-pandemic, Dangwa might have been the loveliest beast of an enclave there is. There was no dead time at all: Early mornings were filled with shopkeepers coaxing passersby and commuters to purchase from their stalls, while lunch times saw people on work break drop by for an order pick-up or last-minute arrangement. In the late afternoons, nearby schools and universities freed their students, buying youngins time to purchase flowers for themselves or for significant others.
And at midnight up until before dawn breaks—arguably the best time to visit—fluorescent lamps lit the way for seasoned flower hunters awaiting the delivery of fresh blossoms, raring to get first pick before the day even starts. COVID-19 changed all that and more.
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Gemma's Flower Shop employs many hands to address Valentine's Day surge.
PHOTO BY Jilson Tiu
“During the pandemic period, nag-lie low talaga kami pero 'yung mga ibang shop dito in Dangwa, they are closed talaga. Kami we cater [to] local supplies. So may mga supplies kami coming from local para lang bukas yung shop, pero ang orders namin ay via online lang. Order online, we’ll send a photo, then they’ll pick up via courier,” Magno said.
When asked if this year’s Valentine’s Day was reminiscent of the past, Magno said it wasn’t: “Hindi pa ito yon. Wala pa sa 50% na before na operation.”
“Ngayon naman meron nang mas maraming client compared to before (during lockdown) kasi before marami pang limitations. So ngayon naman para kaming bumabalik sa dating operations,” he said.
“Ngayon medyo kakabalik pa lang sa new normal, kasi nung pandemic, wala talaga. And medyo pigil yung tao, bawal lumabas, estudyante walang pasok, online lang sila. Face to face na ulit, kaya marami nangestudyante na customers,” Sabado echoed.
Shrouded in construction sounds and motorcycle engines, flower arranger Arnel Singson with a smile tried to speak above the noise to tell us a bit of his ties to Manila’s flower district: He had been working in Dangwa for a total of 12 years, and was forced into a break because of the pandemic that saw millions of Manila workers return home to their provinces due to lockdowns.
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The return to Dangwa was not so simple. Even though the market reopened, fewer people bought flowers because of restrictions, and many who stayed in the capital region kept their jobs. Still, Singson found employment arranging bouquets at Golden PetalsPH, a purely online flower store that operated on a pick-up and delivery system and addressed floral needs during the pandemic.
Buyers would send in their requests and payments, and Singson and the rest of the team would purchase flowers and supplies, and tie it all together with a bow. Located on the outskirts of Dangwa, only supplies and finished bouquets were stored there while its owners lived a few streets down.
Working each sunflower stalk into the bouquet, Singson said online orders were a great way to reach people far from Dangwa, with many customers even ordering in bulk. Like other flower shops that had to adapt during the pandemic, going cashless and digital showed Dangwa and all its characters a way to move forward while maintaining its roots.
PHOTO BY Jilson Tiu
After finishing our bouquet, Singson said he’d go back to the central streets of Dangwa and chat with his cousin while waiting for the next order to come in. Valentine’s week has been stressful, but business is looking up and no one could be mad at that.
For many of its sellers, Dangwa is more than just a Valentine’s rush and stem trimmings. It’s livelihood and culture, family and friendship, and for some, a quiet passion for beguiling things and pride in their work. And for many of its patrons both novice and veteran, Dangwa represents first love and a chance at fleeting beauty bought at the right price.
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