Tips & Back Stories on Dangwa Manila's Flower District

Flowers helped opportunities and careers to bloom. Profits enabled many of the vendors' children to complete their schooling, mostly at nearby UST.

- VICKY VELOSO-BARRERA

Yet we also grow a wealth of upland flowers in the cold climate of Benguet. Roses, chrysanthemums (or mums for short), carnations, snapdragons and more lend themselves more readily to bouquets and flower arrangements because they last much longer after being cut. You can even visit the Northern Blossom Farm in Atok, Benguet to see the glorious mountain setting in which these "western" flowers are grown.

If you have ever enjoyed visiting flower shows or simply wandering through flower markets abroad, you will love Dangwa. This is our very own flower market in the heart of Santa Cruz in Manila. According to the Varsitarian, the student publication of nearby University of Santo Tomas, when World War II curtailed gold mining in Benguet, many of the locals turned to agriculture and floriculture. The Dangwa Transportation Company, owned by the late Samuel Martin Dangwa, would transport strawberries, beans, carrots and potatoes grown by the Benguet farmers to Manila every day.

Soon, flowers were included in the daily deliveries arriving at the Dangwa Bus Company Terminal on Dimasalang. Now, the entire area encompassing the streets of Dimasalang, Dos Castillas and Laon Laan is known collectively as Dangwa. From an original eight vendors decades ago, there are now a hundred stalls selling these upland flowers, plus orchids and asters from Laguna and Batangas. There are also roses, stargazers, orchids and lilies from China, Bangkok and Holland.