AFTER two years of being left alone in the cemeteries, departed loved ones may now be feeling alive, perhaps even ecstatic, with the prospect of being visited, to have flowers laid before them, see the glimmer of hope through candles, be prayed over, and hear their loved ones reminisce about the good old days.
With the upcoming All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day this year or better known as “Undas,” a well-known tradition of Filipino families gathering around the tombs of their dead relatives, the atmosphere is ironically lively.
Despite the rising prices of goods and economic problems besetting the local and global arena, Filipinos nowadays are literally stopping and smelling the roses as they prepare to flock to various cemeteries across the country.
The much-awaited reunion between the living and the dead has also resulted in good business signs as candle and flower vendors have gone back to the streets after experiencing a two-year drought in terms of sales and profits, since businesses closed down during the height of the pandemic.
Filipino businessmen—especially the micro, small and medium enterprises—have displayed resilience on the streets, expecting a rebound in their sales as mobility has paved the way for them to earn more this year compared to the past two years.
Regular markets
DIVISORIA, a commercial center in between Tondo and Binondo in Manila, is one of the few places where Filipinos are rushing to purchase affordable candles days before Undas.
According to the candle vendors in the bargain capital of the country, prices are ranging from P20 per piece to as much as P170, depending on the make, size and pieces per pack of the candles.
These prices, said the vendors, have increased compared to their prices in the past few years due to the rising production and delivery costs.
Asked why the prices of candles increased, Chrismar, a candle vendor, said, “nagtaas po kasi ang supplier [The supplier raised the prices].”
The candle vendor said prices are still expected to increase in the days leading up to Undas as demand is still expected to go up—assuming tropical storm “Paeng” would not spoil the occasion.
Meanwhile, a bigger business establishment that houses numerous boxes of candles has attracted resellers who traveled all the way to Divisoria from their respective provinces just to secure enough to sell to last-minute buyers during Undas.
Jepoy, for one, said in a televised interview, “Dahil sa mataas na inflation, kailangan ko dumiskarte so ito dahil paparating na ang araw ng patay, kailangan ko magtinda ng kandila [Due to rising inflation, I have to find ways to earn so I think this year’s Undas presents the opportunity to sell and earn].”
Candles and flowers
ON Tuesday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in an advisory: “Please be informed that DTI currently has an existing Suggested Retail Price (SRP) for candles based on the August 2022 SRP.”
According to the Department Administrative Order No. 17-09 or the Guidelines in the Implementation of Suggested Retail Price of Basic Necessities and Prime Commodities, however, the SRP covers only groceries and supermarkets.
Hence, the DTI noted, if people buy from the sidewalk vendors or memorial sites, the price is no longer regulated.
For those buying their candles in supermarkets and groceries, prices of candles, per the DTI’s latest SRP list issued in August, range from P29.75 to P177.71 depending on the make, brand and size of the candles.
Flowers are another in-demand product during the season of the dead. A flower seller who opted not to disclose his identity shared how the flower business in Dangwa is starting to regain its momentum as Undas is fast approaching.
On Wednesday night, several trucks lined up along Dimasalang Road in Manila were dropping off supplies of flowers, which came all the way from the provinces.
The flower seller—seated on a chair, seemingly ready to unwind after a long day—responded “200 percent” when I asked him about his sales projection for this Undas season.
He said this is on the back of the loosened Covid restrictions as the government is no longer imposing stringent lockdowns.
“After two years, we are still hopeful sales will finally be good,” he said, partly in Filipino. “I hope the weather cooperates. Last year was different on the account of tight restrictions. This year is different and we’re hopeful we could draw some income with loosened restrictions. You should set projections higher so that you could work hard for it],” the flower seller added.
The owner of the flower shop also divulged that 70 percent of the flower business stalls in Manila Flower Center, better known as Dangwa in Manila, “folded” during the two-year lockdown.
“Actually, 70 percent of the flower shops here have folded up. As you may have noticed, the shops operating nowadays are the new ones. Most of the old sellers have closed shop,” the flower seller noted.
He added that some of the previous flower sellers had opted to sell vegetables instead at the height of the pandemic. Because flowers are not considered essential, sales took a deep dive. The flower seller said these people bore the brunt of rent and utilities expenses amid the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the seller said it’s still transport cost that accounts for most of the cost of a flower. Interestingly, the flower seller noted that he would rather import flowers than buy from local sellers because of logistics cost. He stressed that it’s way cheaper to have your flowers shipped from abroad.
“There’s always the risk of a logistical foul-up if you source your supplies locally, because of floods or landslides. Transporting the flowers via airplane may be an option but it doesn’t come up cheap since the product originates from Baguio or Bukidnon. Unlike imported products, you may only have to compete with Shopee,” she said.
Still the seller said, “We long have been dealing with logistical problems so our customers can haggle with the price and you can be sure of product delivery.”
Image credits: Hrlumanog | Dreamstime.com, Alysa Salen
Revisiting the dead
Source: News Paper Radio
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