Baguio flower vendors brace for losses as rains impact Undas
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Flower vendors in Baguio City are experiencing a drop in sales due to the continuous rain caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and Super Typhoon Leon during Undas season, when flower demand typically surges.
“Malaki ang epekto [ng bagyo] kasi imbis na ’yong mga buyer [ng bulaklak] aakyat [sa Baguio], hindi. At ’yong ibang vendor kawawa naman sila kasi mga paninda nila nabasa, nasisira rin kasi mga bulaklak kapag nababasa,” said April Wakat, a longtime flower vendor at the City Public Market, told Rappler on Thursday, October 31.
(The typhoon has had a major impact because buyers are no longer coming up here in Baguio to purchase flowers. Some vendors are struggling as their products get wet and damaged.)
Wakat noted that while some customers still visit, the overall sales have decreased significantly compared to previous Undas seasons.
Rochelle Butangen, a flower vendor for over a decade stationed in Igorot Park, expressed the same sentiments.
“Matumal ang benta kasi umuulan, tinatamad ang mga tao na lumabas. Naaapektuhan pa mga paninda kasi nasisira,” Butangen explained.
(Sales are slow due to the rain. People are less likely to go out. The rain is damaging our flowers.)
Baguio City is currently experiencing heavy rain and fog due to Super Typhoon Leon. Benguet province is under Signal No. 1, as reported by PAGASA.
The city’s Public Information Office reported in their Facebook page a surge in passenger traffic at bus terminals on October 30 as people traveled to their respective provinces.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong, meanwhile, urged the public through a video message posted on his Facebook account on October 30 to observe proper health protocols and hygiene, especially since it is flu season,
“Although we have deployed personnel from our police, fire, and health department to assist the public during this period, it is equally important to do our share, ensuring public safety,” Magalong said.
The mayor emphasized the need for following safety measures even in cemeteries for a peaceful observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. – Rappler.com
Lyndee Buenagua is a third year college student and campus journalist from the University of the Philippines Baguio. The former editor-in-chief of Highland 360, a Baguio-based publication, she is also an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2024.