‘Gulay bouquets’ blossom in time for Valentine’s Day, courtesy of community pantry organizers

Community pantry organizers in the Philippines are set to sell vegetable bouquets until Friday, February 10, 2023, to help bring the products and stories of farmers to communities in Metro Manila. (Photo from Patreng Non/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — With February 14th fast-approaching, a creative gift-giving solution for lovers – and a practical help for farmers amidst the economic crunch – has been proposed: vegetable bouquets.

Ana Patricia Non, the founder of the Maginhawa Street Community Pantry in Quezon City, made the announcement on Tuesday that organizers will be selling gulay (vegetable) bouquets until Friday, February 10th, in time for Valentine’s Day, while they continue to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers.

According to Non, sales from gulay bouquets will be used to sustain the operations of Community Pantry PH.

“Plano po natin ituloy ang pag-connect ng farmers natin directly sa ating consumers na walang takot mabulukan ng gulay, malugi o mabarat ng traders (We plan to continue directly connecting farmers to our consumers without fear of spoiling their vegetables, losing money or having traders buy their products for a way cheaper price),” she said in a social media post.

READ: Community pantry: ‘Not charity, but mutual aid’

Non’s Monday night encounter with a white onion farmer has revealed a hidden gem in Metro Manila – quality white onions that are both affordable and rare. All of the proceeds from their vegetable bouquets will go toward bringing more affordable, agricultural goods from these farmers to communities in the capital region.

“Naniniwala po kami na hindi lang dapat iyong mga gulay ang dumadating sa atin, dapat iyong kwento din nila. At saka dapat lahat tayo, maayos iyong pagkain ng pamilya,” Non stressed.

(We believe that it shouldn’t only be their vegetables that will reach us but also their stories. And we also believe that all of us should have decent food for the family.)

Ana Patricia Non, the pioneer of the community pantry along Maginhawa Street in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City, at the height of lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. – Community pantry organizers in the Philippines are set to sell vegetable bouquets until Friday, February 10, 2023, to help bring the products and stories of farmers to communities in Metro Manila. (Photo from Patreng Non/Facebook)

READ: Maginhawa community pantry now delivers goods to barangays in Diliman

Gulay bouquets, which weigh around five kilograms, will cost a total of P1,650 inclusive of the shipping fee to parts of Metro Manila, according to Non.

Delivery of the bouquets is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on February 12 and 13.

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