Farm caretaker Severino Ople says visitor appreciate the small but brilliant field of celosia flowers. He says the attention is a ‘blessing and puts barangay Sirao on the map. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Cut flowers draw photo-hungry visitors
Yellow and red blooms greet visitors who arrive at a small hillside farm in barangay Sirao, Cebu City.
It rained hard in the morning, and fog draped the site yesterday. This didn’t stop the arrival of several batches of urban denizens from the lowlands who came by car and habal-habal motorcycle-taxis to see the bright celosia flowers grown in a 30-square meter farm.
The flower beds managed by Severino Ople and his wife Justina are this year’s discovery of mostly young, digital-savvy sightseers with camera phones ready to take “selfies” and “groufies” amid a glorious landscape.
In nearby plots grow daisy-like gerbera, delicate white asters or “baby’s breath” and white chrysanthemums as well.
The 61-year-old caretaker said he was still amazed by the throngs who come to the small farm owned by Elena Sy. As early as 4 a.m., visitors are outside waiting for the sunrise – and perfect lighting to take photos among the flowers.
Many of them are call center agents, he said.
“Diha lang na sila mamungko, huwat-huwat sa adlaw para sa photos. Kinsa gud intawon magdahom nga masikat ni diri dapita sa kadugay nako nga tinanom og buwak.”
(They squat outside just waiting for the daylight to take photos. Who would have thought that this place would become famous. I never expected this after so many years of planting flowers). It was only last Oct. 15, when Severino started collecting an entrance fee of P20 per person as more people started coming.
Word spread as images appeared on Facebook and Instagram accounts.
In a day, the farm now earns P3,000 to P8,000 from gate fees.
“I already talked with the land owner. She told me to keep the money because she has plans to develop the area as a tourist destination,” said Severino, who’s full time job is to cultivate the cut flowers.
OVERWHELMED
Celosias, locally called “burlas”, are easy to grow and plentiful, said the caretaker. The blooms sell for P40 per bundle in the market.
Fertilizer is applied every 15 days. The plant only has one stem, so once it’s eaten by insects, everything can be lost, Severino explained.
Planting usually starts in the first week of July. It takes three months to mature just in time for All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day in early November, when families bring flowers to the grave sites of loved ones. The farm, one of several in Sirao, supplies vendors in Freedom Park in Carbon market, bringing in at least P30,000 income, said Severino.
But this year, he had to postpone the harvest.
The landowner told him not to cut the blooms and to give way to the pleasure of tourists who want to have their photos taken amid the celosia.
DAMAGE
One downside so far is the damage to most of the flower beds, said Severino.
Several visitors get carried away and walk across the plots, or are careless and trample on the foliage.
Some visitors lose their balance on the slopes and trip while trying to get a perfect photo.
The caretaker said he’s hesitant to call their attention and just lets the people be.
He told CDN that after the frenzy dies down, he plans to fence the farm and and put barriers to protect the plots from further damage. Even the soil has become arid.
“Maybe we will harvest the flowers after All Saints Day or when they wither. We have to plant again for Christmas and Sinulog,” he said.
Peak demand for cut flowers in Cebu City extends to January for the annual Sinulog festival in honor of the Holy Child.
Growing up in a family of farmers, Severino said he was more than happy to share the “blessings” of this new found exposure with neighbors in barangay Sirao.
He used to till the soil in barangay Malubog but the family got displaced when it was developed as a leisure area and golf course.
He relocated to Sirao, where he met his wife Justina and had three children.
“We had a lot of hard times but I’m glad that this blessing has come to our lives,” he said in Cebuano. With the influx of tourists, other local farmers have found fresh opportunity to sell boiled yellow corn and streetfood tempura to roadside travelers.
Even habal-habal drivers are thankful for the attention.
“Karon nabutang na jud sa mapa ang Sirao tungod ani. Maayo unta magpadayon.
(With this, Sirap is now on the map. I hope this success continues),” said the farmer.
Relaxing views, farm hospitality
“It was all worth it,” said University of Cebu (UC) college professor Neil Nadela, one of yesterday’s visitors to the celosio farm in Sirao. Soaked in the rain with muddy feet, Nadela said he had long planned the trip to Sirao after seeing posts of their friends in social media.
He hired a motorcycle at JY Square past 8 a.m. to bring him and fellow professor Lloyd Sasil up the mountain road for P160 each.
“We didn’t turn back despite the rain. Bahala ug dugay basta kay naabot jud mi. (It doesn’t matter how long the trip would take, as long as we would arrive here),” he said.
They negotiated with the habal-habal driver past 8 a.m. and reached the farm almost 11 a.m. because the downpour reduced visibility to almost zero with fog.
“I had always heard of Sirao but I never got to explore the area. This is our first time here,” said Nadela to CDN.
Sasil sat on a wooden bench outside the caretaker’s house. He said the sight of fields of celosia flowers was relaxing and a stress reliever from the bustle of metropolitan life.
“Fulfilling kaayo siya. For me, these Sinulog flowers also remind us of our devotion to the Senor Santo Niño,” said Sasil, who teaches English in UC.
The bright red and yellow hues of the flowers are also theme colors of the Sto. Niño.
Three women approached to ask for plastic bags to wrap their muddy shoes so they don’t track dirt inside their car. Arnel, 28, the youngest of the Ople children obliged with a smile.
He refused to accept payment.
The gesture didn’t escape Professor Nadela.
“Others would have taken advantage of the situation. Aside from the beautiful flowers, grabe jud ang hospitality and honesty sa mga tao. They are so accommodating,” he said.