FOR the family of Zenaida Jancinal, a flower farmer in Busay, Cebu City, technology has opened new opportunities despite the challenges of the pandemic and their relocation from Freedom Park in Carbon Market.
When the pandemic hit, flower sales at Freedom Park were at their lowest. The situation worsened when vendors were transferred to an interim building to make way for the Carbon Redevelopment Project.
Zenaida had been selling flowers at Freedom Park for 27 years, and her daughter, Rho Ann, grew up in the business, which supported her through college.
Rho Ann said their relocation did not just affect their business but also their security, as the new location, the interim building, is in a more interior area where theft and robbery are frequent.
The interim building was designed as a temporary facility while the main market reconstruction proceeded.
But these challenges turned into an opportunity when Rho Ann thought of using simple technology to expand their presence, receive orders and payments, and book deliveries.
In 2021, Rho Ann created a Facebook and Instagram page for their flower business, naming it Flowers by Mama Z.
“Before, we just sold bundles of flowers, but when we opened the social media pages, we started to learn flower arrangement. Most of the online orders are bouquets,” Rho Ann said.
Both Rho Ann and Zenaida were earlier featured in SunStar’s StartUp Spotlight, which further boosted their reach.
“We are very thankful to SunStar for the interview since after that we had new clients who discovered us through the interview,” Rho Ann said.
Rho Ann, who finished Bachelor of Arts in English in 2018, is more passionate about sales. She said while people now know their new location, some still prefer to place online orders, citing safety concerns about the interim building.
“If we just maintained the physical store, it would have been difficult for us to sell more,” Rho Ann said. “The free use of technology has really improved our sales, our presence, and Mama Z’s brand.”
Safety and Security Remain a Challenge
Despite the business’s online success, the safety of their income and their personal security remain a challenge at the interim building.
Zenaida said just recently, one of the vendors lost cash and jewelry from the cash register while entertaining a client.
“Tanang stalls aduna nay CCTV, but kinahanglan gyud ang pulis (All stalls already have CCTVs, but police presence is still needed),” Zenaida said. (MVG)
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