The inaugural Philippine International Flower Festival titled "Bountiful Blooms" was launched at the SPACE at One Ayala in Makati City on July 17, 2024. Photo by Josiah Antonio, ABS-CBN News.

MANILA — Good news for plantitas and plantitos!

The inaugural Philippine International Flower Festival, titled "Bountiful Blooms," was launched on Wednesday. 

In a press conference, producer Jerry Sibal said the event aims to educate attendees about flowers with a spotlight on floral designing, garden landscaping, a trade show, exhibits on ikebana, bonsai, and orchids, and a floral fashion show.

"I want to educate everybody, including me. At the same time, I want to preserve our nature ... I'm doing this one not for myself but for all the Filipinos also," Sibal told reporters.

"With education is appreciation. When you appreciate something, you become aware. When you're aware, it opens everything," he added.

One Ayala marketing manager Mela Miranda-Lasangue hopes that mallgoers would also be engaged in sustainability efforts through the event.

"We're not just a mall. Yes, we do have sustainable design elements here in our structure, especially in One Ayala but more than that we'd like our mallgoers to have diverse experiences here in our mall," she said. 

"We'd like to emphasize that we are one with advocacies also similar with Sir Jerry here... We'd like to impart that we are also one with his advocacy in terms of educating our mallgoers ... we'd like our customers to discover."

The first Philippine International Flower Festival is set to be held on September 19 to 22 at the SPACE at One Ayala in Makati.