MANILA, Philippines – For some, becoming an architect is the ultimate dream. But for one architect, 28-year-old Megan Oringo, life brought her to a different direction and she would become a fulltime flower shop owner.
Of course, becoming a business owner is also the dream of many people, yet Oringo experienced seeing disappointed looks and hearing ‘tindera lang’ comments from people who thought that it’s a “downgrade” from her lofty architect profession.
Oringo owns Pananom Co Events, a flower and events shop that blossomed back in 2020, surprisingly, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The flower shop’s name, Pananom Co, is an allusion to the Bicolano phrase “pananom ko” (my plants).
She told The Philippine Star that she only started with a Php3,500 capital. It was difficult for her to find customers, but she tried her best to befriend other small-time business owners who allowed her to share a part of their booth in bazaars.
As a small-time start-up with very limited exposure, she already felt happy when she would earn Php150. Still, there were days when she didn’t even sell anything - and she also had to deal with hurtful comments from people who talked behind her back.
“Ako lang din ang bantay noon at naranasan ko rin na po na pinag-uusapan noon na, “Ay si architect naging tindera na lang” but I didn’t give up,” she recalled.
Though sales of live plants dropped after the pandemic, Oringo had the novel idea of selling dried plants and arrangements.
“Half ng pwesto ko ay plants and half ay dried flowers, curios na curious noon ang mga tao kaya marami na nagpapagawa sa akin puro customized arrangements on the spot gagawin and magwe-wait lang sila ng 15-20 minutes,” she shared.
Eventually, Pananom Co would become better known for dried plants, but Oringo decided to keep the business name.
She explained, “‘Di ko na po pinalitan ang name niya ’til now kasi naniniwala ako na kung saan ako nagsimula dapat ‘wag palagi kalimutan.”
Just 2 years after starting out at bazzaars and accepting online orders, Oringo opened her first ever branch in SM Legazpi. Her business boomed so much that she was able to bring the shop to Metro Manila, opening a storefront shop in Tanguile, Makati City in February 2025.
From “tindera lang,” it’s certainly “wow, tindera!” now.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
