Tulips from Amsterdam? A blooming scam, says new probe

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Tourists are being ripped off at Amsterdam's famous flower market, with just one percent of all bulbs sold at the floating bazaar ever producing a blossom, investigators said Tuesday.

A probe commissioned by the Dutch capital's municipality and tulip growers also found that often only one flower resembled the pictures on the packaging like color, and that there were fewer bulbs than advertised.

"The probe showed that there is chronic deception of consumers," at the sale of tulip bulbs at the flower market, the Royal General Bulb Growers' Association (KAVB) said.

"Millions of tourists and day-trippers are being duped," KAVB chairman Rene le Clercq said in a statement.

Amsterdam and the KAVB have now referred the matter to the Dutch consumer watchdog.

The Amsterdam flower market is one of the city's most famous landmarks and dates from around 1862, when flower sellers sailed their barges up the Amstel River and moored them in the "Singel" to sell their goods.

Its fame inspired the popular song "Tulips from Amsterdam", best known for a 1958 version by British entertainer Max Bygraves.

Today the market comprises of a number of fixed barges with little greenhouses on top. Vendors not only sell tulip bulbs but also narcissus, snowdrops, carnations, violets, peonies and orchids.

But of 1,363 bulbs bought from the Singel and then planted, just 14 actually bloomed, the investigation said.

Investigators found a similar problem along the so-called "flower bulb boulevard" in Lisse, a bulb-field town south of Amsterdam where the famous Keukenhof gardens are also situated.

Since first imported from the Ottoman Empire 400 years ago, tulips "have become our national symbol and the bulb industry a main player in the Dutch economy," said Le Clercq.

But the "deception about the tulip bulbs is a problem that has been existing for the past 20 years," he added.

'BAD BULBS' 

The victims are often tourists, KAVB director Andre Hoogendijk said.

"A tourist who buys a bad bulb is not likely to come back," he told Amsterdam's local AT5 news channel.

Vendors at the market told AT5 that complaints were known.

"There are indeed stalls here that sell rubbish. That is to everyone's disadvantage, because it portrays the whole flower market in a bad light," one unidentified vendor said.

But a spokesperson for the City of Amsterdam said that all vendors were being investigated "and that the results are shocking."

"So to say that it is only a few stalls is not true," the spokesperson told AFP in an email.

The probe took place earlier in the year during springtime, the spokesperson said.

"The issue is that you shouldn't even sell tulip bulbs during the spring. No decent florist shop in Holland does that."

Tulip bulbs should only be sold between August to December and planted before the start of the (northern hemisphere) winter, in order for the flowers to bloom in spring.

jhe/dk/ach 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

The art and science of Japan's cherry blossom forecast

TOKYO -- As spring approaches in Japan, the country's weather forecasters face one of their biggest missions of the year: predicting exactly when the famed cherry blossoms will bloom.

Japan's sakura or cherry blossom season is feverishly anticipated by locals and visitors alike. Many tourists plan their entire trips around the blooms, and Japanese flock to parks in their millions to enjoy the seasonal spectacle.

"People pay more attention to the cherry blossom season than any other flower in Japan," Ryo Dojo, an official of the statistics unit at the Japan Meteorological Agency, told AFP.

The most basic element of predicting when the delicate pink and white petals will begin to unfurl is a large data set of temperatures. That's because the flowers will come earlier if temperatures rise quickly in spring, Dojo said.

Conversely, if temperatures in the autumn and winter period are higher than usual, the blooms can end up being delayed.

Extreme weather can affect the trees too, with unusual patterns in 2018 prompting some blossoms to appear in October, well before the usual season.

In general, blooms begin as early as March in southern Kyushu and appear as late as May in northernmost Hokkaido.

In a bid to improve its forecasts, some outfits have started crowdsourcing data, including Weathernews, a firm in Chiba near Tokyo. It relies on photos of buds sent in regularly by 10,000 citizens across the country who are registered on the company's website and app.

"Cherry blossom forecasting is impossible for us without this system," spokeswoman Miku Toma said.

Two million reports

The company launched what they call the "sakura project" in 2004, signing up members who choose their own cherry tree and send pictures of its buds to the firm at regular intervals.

"We realized we could see the details of how buds grow thanks to the pictures sent to us," Toma said. "So we decided to incorporate the project to help predict blossoms."

Just observing the bud can give surprisingly accurate information about how far the flower is from full bloom. A sakura bud still a month from blossoming will be small and firm, but after 10 days, the tip turns slightly yellow-green, and then a darker green part emerges. When the tip of the bud turns a faint pink, it's just a week until bloom-time.

Thanks to the project, Weathernews has accumulated data from two million reports on cherry flower buds in the past 15 years, which it uses to increase the accuracy of its forecasting.

It also incorporates weather data collected from its own observation devices across Japan -- 13,000 locations in total, 10 times more than the official weather agency has. 

Weathernews employees also call around 700 parks regularly to check the growth of cherry flower buds.

The company and other forecasters also employ mathematical models and algorithms.

Otenki Japan, a forecaster run by a subsidiary of precision-equipment manufacturer Shimadzu, even began using artificial intelligence to predict cherry blossoms in 2018.

Blooms on beer

The forecasts are not only for flower fans, but reflect the fact that sakura season is big business in Japan.

Cherry blossoms symbolize the fragility of life in Japanese culture as full blooms only last about a week before the petals start falling off trees.

And in that period and the preceding weeks, shops will pack their shelves with sakura themed merchandise. Pink and white blossoms seem to decorate everything from beer cans to sakura-flavoured chips and flower-themed candy.

The season is traditionally celebrated with hanami, or viewing parties, in cherry blossom hotspots, with picnics organized beneath the trees.

The season is also considered one of change, as it marks the start of the new business year, with many university graduates starting their first full-time jobs and older colleagues shifting to new positions.

Japan's Meteorological Agency stopped forecasting cherry blossoms in 2010, after more than five decades, saying other organizations were now making predictions with sufficient accuracy.

The agency does, however, still declare the official start of cherry blossom season by monitoring 58 so-called barometer trees. The trees are at locations across the country, and the precise locations are considered a closely-guarded secret.

One of them in Tokyo, however, is known to be at the Yasukuni Shrine.

From the beginning of March, inspectors visit the barometer trees once a day, with the trips increasing to twice daily as blossoming nears, Dojo said.

"We check flowers with our own eyes. And we announce the blossoming if five or six flowers appear," he added.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

More than flowers: Story behind viral 'Garden Taxi'

MANILA, Philippines – It's quite a fancy cab — driven by 41-year-old Richard Bulaclac — one that blooms with a flowery interior, and which he calls the "Garden Taxi."

The cab has LED-lit plastic roses, all colorful and radiating with positivity, perfectly arranged to ease whatever stress the city life has cast down upon commuters and laborers.

Its floral design matches the driver, Bulaclac, not only because of his surname — a homonym of “bulaklak,” the Filipino word for flower —but also because of his warm and polite personality.

The "Garden Taxi" became viral on social media courtesy of satisfied and inspired customers.

"Pagsakay ko pa lang, napa-whoa na ako sa loob ng taxi niya. Flowers, although plastic, pero sa isang umaga na galing ka sa LRT at apat na oras lang ang tulog, malaking bagay na ito ang sasalubong sa 'yo," said Clarisse Inao in a viral Facebook post.

But all things said about the taxi are just beauty-at-a-glance — just flowery words for a flowery machine — because the “Garden Taxi” and its driver has something more to tell about life.

Bulaclac ng Maynila

Bulaclac, a father of three, lives and works in Manila, over 1,000 kilometers away from his family in Davao del Sur.

Through thick and thin traffic or the risk of being robbed, he braves the roads of Metro Manila everyday, hoping to earn enough money to send to his family.

He used to earn up to P2,500 on a good day. But now because of the horrendous metro traffic, he only earns up to P1,000.

"Hindi nga nakakamatay pero unti-unti ka namang pinapatay dahil wala ka nang kikitahin," Bulaclac told ABS-CBNnews.com, referring to the daily metro traffic, just one of the many problems of the public utility vehicle drivers.

"May gas pa, boundary pa," he added.

With these problems, it's easy to resort to shortcuts, such as overcharging, "kontrata" in Filipino slang, or criminal acts like the infamous "taxi spray modus."

But Bulaclac, having been in dark times himself, has always sought the side of light.

"Takot ako [na gumawa ng masama]," he said. "Ang design ko, God's love."

Recycling, instead of crime

Bulaclac educated himself, attending livelihood seminars during his free days.

He learned the art of turning plastic scrap into pouches, bags and wallets, and sold his handmade products to passengers instead of charging additional money on bad-traffic days.

"Gawa 'to sa mga basyo ng kape, mga sitsirya... Binaligtad 'yan, huhugasan muna, gugupitin nang uniform, tapos gagawing parang banig," he said.

Bulaclac said he initially made 50 samples. It was an instant hit among his passengers.

"Nang makita ng pasahero, sabi, 'bibili ako ng lima.' Ubos agad!" he recalled.

Finding scrap enough to make bags and pouches is not as hard as it sounds, especially in the metro. One just has to be resourceful.

Bulaclac said he buys plastic materials from eateries where he usually hangs out.

"'Yung eatery, 'di na nila kinalat 'yung basura, iniipon na nila kasi binibili ko rin, P100. Ngayon, sisipagin na sila kasi P100 din 'yun," he said.

Aside from eateries, passengers inspired by his way of life also give him plastic materials so he can make and sell more pouches.

"Dito lang ako nakakabawi sa products na ginagawa ko galing sa recycled materials," he said. "Ngayon, kahit maliit ang kita, no need na akong mangontrata."

Paying it forward

Goodness never stops, it only flows on and on like a river. That's why as more help pours in for Bulaclac, he felt the urge to pay it forward.

One of the simple ways he thought of was to give the first his passengers on the first Monday and last Friday of the month, and even on his birthday, a free ride to anywhere.

He also grabs every opportunity to do good, the least he can do not only as a cabbie, but as a human being.

"May natulungan akong mag-ama makauwi ng Tarlac," he recalled. "Papunta ako sa SM Bicutan, nandoon na sila sa gutter. Buti 'yung problema nila, isinulat na nila sa karton."

"Hinatid ko muna 'yung pasahero ko sa SM Bicutan galing airport. Pagbalik ko nandoon pa rin sila, sinakay ko na," he added.

Bulaclac said the father and his kids were in Manila to look for his wife who was working somewhere in Merville, Parañaque as a housemaid.

The man tracked down the address, but never found his wife. There was no money left when the search was over.

He was saddened by the situation of the man and his kids, so he decided to pay for his tickets back to Tarlac.

Bulaclac said he felt good that time because the man texted him a few days after, thanking him.

"Nag-text sa akin, ang daming mayaman, bakit ikaw pa ang gumawa."

Garden Taxi's environmental thrust

Aside from helping people when he can, Bulaclac said he is also happy helping Mother Nature with his recycling "business."

"Nakakaambag ako sa kalikasan, na-motivate ko ang tao na h'wag magkalat," he said.

Bulaclac calls his simple idea — the Garden Taxi and everything he does with it — a war against the destruction of nature.

He considers the Garden Taxi — a vehicle not even his — the eateries, his passengers, buyers, the people, and the community are his "business partners."

Bulaclac he said he got this idea nearly six years ago, the year when the wrath of typhoon "Ondoy" came upon Metro Manila.

The calamities, he said, are eye-opening. He was even inspired to compose a song, entitled "Kalikasan, Pag-ingatan Natin."

His realizations, he said, pushed him to think of ideas on how to make a living, while helping people and helping Mother Nature all at the same time in a self-sustaining fashion, like a garden.

"Para bang 'yung umiikot lang mag-isa," he said.

The vehicle Bulaclac is renting, is the lone Garden Taxi in the metro, or maybe even in the Philippines, but he is hoping he can inspire others to do the same.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How to save on flowers this Valentine's Day

MANILA -- As one of the most popular gifts on Valentine's Day, flowers tend to become more expensive as demand increases as February 14 approaches.

Florists usually hike up the price of flowers, especially during special occasions like Valentine's Day.

According to a florist interviewed on DZMM's "Radio Negosyo," florists tend to sell red flowers at a higher price, since the demand for this color is higher on Valentine's Day.

Florists also tend to increase prices of flowers by 50% to 100% during peak seasons.

Flower arranging can also be a lucrative business, as florists can earn around 300% of their capital.

Florists and flower arrangers usually spend P3,000 to P4,000 on raw materials for events. They can then charge their clients around P7,000 to P10,000 for the whole floral arrangement package.

One can also sell P500 worth of flowers at around P1,200 once arranged.

In terms of trends, flower arrangements should look natural, yet neat, in order to look presentable, the florist said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sampaguita ice cream, anyone?

MANILA – Students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines – San Pedro Campus in Laguna have come up with an interesting take on ice cream, a well-loved Filipino treat.

As part of a business project, the students created sampaguita ice cream, which infused the scent of the country’s national flower.

“Ito po ay business plan implementation ng entrepreneurial students,” Marissa Ferrer of PUP-San Pedro Campus said in an interview on “Umagang Kay Ganda” on Friday.

“Meron pong process na dinaraanan. ‘Yung mismong flowers ng sampaguita, ‘yun po ang ginagawang scent para sa ice cream,” Ferrer added.

So how does sampaguita ice cream taste like? “Umagang Kay Ganda” host Winnie Cordero sampled the white frozen treat, which she said does not taste unusual at all.

“Hindi naman pala lasang sampaguita, scent lang pala,” she said.

The sampaguita ice cream is one of the many items on offer as San Pedro, Laguna celebrates its 15th Sampaguita Festival, which will run until February 23.

Other products made with sampaguita include massage oils, spray perfumes, detergent and bath soaps.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com