By Digna D. Banzon
DAVAO CITY, March 3 (PNA) — Davao City’s flowering and ornamental plants are not only a passion for Dabawenyos but also livelihood provider to garden makers or landscapers nationwide. It remains a thriving business in Davao.
“Growing plants has become a passion not only to a few but to women in the villages and in remote communities where they plant those sought after varieties by landscaper,” said Vicky Jimenez, immediate past president of the Floriculture Industry of Davao, Inc. (FIDI) during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday at SM Annex.
“Plant growers like us need several thousands of plant materials and we source our supply from these women,” she said.
She said Davao has become the source of supply by other garden installers in the country.
While we do our local projects in Davao, she said, they also established network with their counterparts in other parts of the country, especially in the Visayas region where volumes of planting materials are transported.
Those engaged in this business, like those in Cebu and Bohol, would source their materials from here because they can get by volume, she said.
FIDI, according to Jimenez, has a hundred members that tap women in the communities to propagate flowering plants and other ornamental plants.
She said this is their way of helping the women and mothers aside from being part of the organizing group of the annual Agri-Trade Fair during Araw ng Dabaw and the Kadayawan sa Dabaw.
Jimenez said they are also advocating green environment and promote organic practices instead of using pesticides.
“This can be done easily and we had been teaching the women and mothers to practice in their gardens,” she said. “But there is still lot of work to do to change the attitude of people on becoming more environment friendly,” she added.
Meanwhile, Jimenez said their members were now legitimate business operators after they had their businesses registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
She said they wanted to professionalize their operation after BIR Commissioner Kim Henares and during the BIR’s tax mapping operation that vendors were found out not issuing receipts. The BIR Davao and FIDI had fixed the issue and had their businesses registered.
She said if they operate legally, they can market anywhere and also make partnership in other cities and provinces.
Jimenez said they also undergo continuing education on the marketing aspect an important component in the business.
“We don’t just grow plants, we need to market them in order for us to earn,” she said. (PNA)