Yellow celosias are now in bloom at the Sirao Garden – Little Amsterdam. | Doris C. Bongcac
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Workers of a flower farm in the mountain barangay of Sirao in Cebu City have been tilling the land to make sure that flowering plants that were destroyed by Super Typhoon Odette are able to regrow.
And after months of hard work, Liliosa Cobrado, 58, said most of their flowers are now in bloom ready for their Kalag-Kalag visitors.
The sun flowers at the Sirao Garden – Little Amsterdam. | Doris C. Bongcac
Cobrado, who has been working at the Sirao Garden – Little Amsterdam for five years now, said they had been looking forward to having more guests to visit their flower farm during the long Kalag-Kalag break.
“Agwanta lang gyud hinayhinay. Tanom lang gyud mi og tarong aron makabuwak ta,” she said.
(We have just to slowly endure it. We just plant properly so that these flowers can bloom.)
Liliosa Cobrado. | Doris C. Bongcac
Cobrado said their operations were badly hit by the pandemic and they did not have guests while quarantine restrictions were in place.
Then came Super Typhoon Odette.
It was only in April 2022 when they started to slowly resume their operations.
However, not so many guests came even after quarantine restrictions were already eased. Most of the visits were made only on weekends and holidays.
Guests are slowly returning at the Sirao Garden -Little Amsterdam. | Doris C. Bongcac
Cobrado said they look forward to having more visits during the Kalag-Kalag holidays.
She expressed hope that visits at the farm would continue even during the Christmas holidays.
| Doris C. Bongcac
To add more color to their surroundings, Cobrado and a colleague have started planting more yellow and red celosia locally known as burlas in one corner of their farm.
She said they expected these burlas to bloom in time for the Christmas holidays.
And just like at the Little Amsterdam, visitors have also started to return at the nearby Sirao Pictorial Garden and Camping Site to especially try their bird feeding attraction.
Try bird feeding at the Sirao Pictorial Garden and Camping Site. | Doris C. Bongcac
Others opt for photo opportunities in beautiful spots there with their families and friends.
| Doris C. Bongcac
And when people are around, even the small businesses also thrive.
Vendors in Sirao have started to reopen their stores located near the two flower gardens to sell water and other refreshments to guests.
Roadside stores located outside of the flower farms in Sirao.| Doris C. Bongcac
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