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With fellow vendors, Alexander Monteclar used to carry his basket full of flowers and run away from the city's demolition team to avoid arrest.
That was more than 20 years ago when he started selling flowers on Cebu City’s sidewalks.
Today, Monteclar, 49, is comfortably tucked in a small stall along Pelaez Street.
“Mao to ang pinaka-challenging nga panahon. Magpayong ra gud mi mamaligya kilid sa dalan (That was the most challenging time. We only had an umbrella and sold flowers on the sidewalk),” said Monteclar, owner of Alex Flowershop.
Monteclar is one of 11 vendors selling flowers near Sto. Rosario Parish Church. He is also president of the Fresh Flower Vendors Association.
“We asked city officials that time to allow us to sell because this is our livelihood. They allowed us so we gave them a list of all the vendors. Later on, Jollibee helped us put up our permanent stalls,” he said.
Monteclar, who hails from Malapascua Island in northern Cebu, transferred to Cebu City in 1976 to continue his studies.
He attended high school at Cebu Central Colleges (now University of Cebu) then took up business administration at the University of Visayas. He stopped on his second year to focus on job at Best Buy Mart in 1981.He was 22 years old then.
As the ninth child among twelve siblings, working hard was not new to Monteclar so it did not come as a surprise when he promoted as store supervisor.
It was also in the same store where he met his wife, Mergie. The couple has four children—Almie, Mary Ann Christine, Aim Del Shiela and Divine El Niño.
“I was already married so I thought I should work even harder,” he said.
While serving as supervisor from 8a.m. to 5p.m., Monteclar started selling flowers, candies, cigarettes and green mangoes with P200 as capital.
To sell his goods, he’d wake up at 3 a.m.
As early as 4 a.m., Monteclar's figure was a familiar sight in Pelaez Street where Sto. Rosario Parish Church and the University of San Carlos are located.
His small bangketa business prospered leading him to establish two ventures—Interflora Flowershop near Velez Hospital, barangay Sta. Cruz in 1986 and a carinderia called Tiyo Alex Inato Lang across University of the Visayas in 1992.
While operating these two businesses, Monteclar did not leave his stall in Pelaez Sreet where he continued to sell flowers.
Between 1997 and 2000, he closed his two other businesses because of high space rental costs.
Monteclar then focused on his small flower stall in Pelaez Street. Loyal customers from Interflora Flowershop continue to order bouquets and flower stands from him.
Having spent most of his teenage years in the downtown area, Monteclar observed that Cebuanos, who are Sto. Niño devotees, offer flowers in church or in family altars at home to express gratitude or to pray for better health and other favors.
This is one reason he decided to venture into flower vending.
“Ang nindot sa negosyo nga buwak kay dili mawala sa uso (The good thing about the flower business is it does not go out of style),” he said.
When he started, Monteclar had no background in flower arrangement. He said he just read books and let his imagination guide him.
Later in 1987, he took a short course on Ikebana or the Japanese art of flower arrangment.
Monteclar gets his flower supplies from barangay Busay in Cebu City, and other cities of Baguio, Davao and Cagayan De Oro.
Monteclar also serves as a wedding decorator with the help of his wife and daughters. While competition from high-end flower shops increases, Monteclar said he is confident that small flower shop owners will continue to grow.
“Our flowers here are cheaper and people have known us for the past 20 years,” he said.
Flowers are generally more expensive in November and February during the days of All Saints and All Soul, and Valentine's.
Some flower growers sell limited stocks during these dates, he explained.
Now that November is approaching, Monteclar said customers should take note that prices will be expensive from Oct. 25 to 31.
As a true-blue Cebuano, Monteclar said he gets inspiration from his Catholic faith, his family and customers who have supported him in the past two decades.
“Basta maningkamot lang gyud ka, molampos man gyud ka. For flowers, naa na sa imong creativity, hardwork ug determination (As long as you work hard, you will really succeed. For us in the flower business, success depends on creativity, hardwork and determination).”
