HEALTHY LOVE. Kadiwa Store merchant Jefferlyn Obillo holds a vegetable bouquet worth PHP100 at the Department of Agriculture Central Office in Quezon City on Wednesday (Feb. 14, 2024). She said this is a healthier gift option for lovers during the Valentine's Day celebration. (PNA photo/Stephanie Sevillano)
MANILA – Looking for a healthier and fresh twist to the same old Valentine's Day gifts like a flower bouquet or a box of chocolates? How about gifting your loved one with a bouquet of vegetables?
This and other unique gift items like "love baskets" of fruits or eggs have been “specially prepared” at the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Central Office Kadiwa Store in Quezon City, for lovers looking for a healthier alternative.
In an interview on Wednesday, Jefferlyn Obillo, 41, a Kadiwa store seller, said consumers may surprise their loved ones with locally-produced vegetables arranged as bouquets at a very affordable price.
“Ngayon pong Valentine’s (Day), mas maganda pong bumili ng gulay. Mayroon pong broccoli, sayote, carrots and beans, PHP100 lang (This Valentine’s Day, it’s better to buy vegetables. We have broccoli, chayote, carrots, and beans, for only PHP100),” she told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Likewise, Juliet Labrador, 51, a representative of the farmers’ association at the Kadiwa store, urged lovers to try the “healthier and more practical” gift idea.
“Instead na flowers and chocolates, dapat maging healthy food na lang tayo, maging practical. Kapag fresh flowers, nalalanta. Iyan after Valentines’ (day), pwede pa nilang lutuin iyan, pwede pa nilang kainin (we should choose healthy food, it’s practical. If it’s fresh flowers, it withers. But these can still be cooked and enjoyed even after the Valentine’s Day!),” she told the PNA.
Buyers may either avail of the readily prepared fruit basket or customize a gift of their own using local fruits available including banana, pomelo, mango, and pineapple, among others.
Labrador said they can even add organic eggs and shrimp paste to their healthy love basket with prices ranging from PHP395 to PHP700.
Rice over roses
Besides supporting local farmers through the Kadiwa stores, the DA also urged Filipinos to give rice instead of roses on Valentine’s Day.
In an interview on Tuesday, DA Undersecretary Roger Navarro said rice is sweeter than flowers.
“Ang dapat iregalo natin sa ating mahal sa buhay sa Valentine’s Day bigas, huwag na yung flowers kasi hindi makain iyon. Matinik pati kasi ang rosas, pero matamis ang bigas (What we should give to our loved ones for Valentine’s Day is rice, not flowers because it’s not edible. Rose has thorns, but rice is sweet),” he said.
Likewise, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte shared the same sentiment on the sidelines of her engagement in Malaysia as the president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).
In a TikTok post, Duterte shared a Valentine’s Day greeting with the caption, “Roses are red. Violets are nice, but nothing compares to the way you spice up my rice.”
She said in the Visayan language that rice must come first before love.
Duterte earlier greeted Filipinos with a happy heart’s day with a bit of a friendly reminder.
“Kaya crush ang tawag sa tao na gusto mo dahil he will crush your heart and break your heart, kaya huwag mo na lang lapitan. Happy Valentine’s Day sa inyong lahat (That’s why you call the person you like a crush because he/she will crush your heart and break your heart so don’t try to get close (to your crush). Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone),” she said in a separate interview. (PNA)
