Lukay traders earn good profit on Palm Sunday

CEBU, Philippines - As Catholics officially started the Holy Week yesterday with the observance of Palm Sunday, enterprising families and individuals said they have earned enough from selling palm leaves or "lukay"outside churches.

Also known as Passion Sunday, it is the first day of Holy Week which ends with Easter the following Sunday.

Lukay vendors who came from different parts of the Cebu province displayed their products early dawn yesterday to readily make big sales.

The FREEMAN spotted yesterday vendors staying near church entrances who were rushing lukay production catching upwith the surge in demand for lukay from parishioners.

These vendors arrived on Saturday in the city for a two-day palm frond selling within the vicinity of churches.

"Pag-abot namo dinhi, sugod dayon mi og himo sa mga lukay para ubay-ubay gyod mi og mabaligya," said 48-year-old Josephina Estrada, who was with her husband and two children to sell palm fronds outside the Sto. Rosario Parish in Cebu downtown.

The Estrada family, together with other peddlers, spent their whole time at the church's sidewalks preparing lukay.

Lukay trading active again

For Christians around the world, Palm Sunday marks the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, prior to his crucifixion.

Millions of Catholics in the Philippines and around the world joined the Church as they waved their palm leaves during the traditional "bendita sa lukay," making the lukay business active and lucrative again.

The Estrada family is just one of the many people who take the yearly tradition as an opportunity to earn an income for a living and provide people's need for the wares.

They come from the municipality of Barili in Southern Cebu,while majority come from Carcar City, Bogo City, Dalaguete and others. 

When they arrived on Saturday morning, Estrada said their hand-made palm fronds were selling out goodright away as they were one of the first sellers to arrive in the area.

"Nagtinabangay mi apil among duha ka anak paghimo sa mga lukay," vendor Estrada, who have been selling lukay every Palm Sunday for more than 15 years now, told The FREEMAN. "Kay dako-dako ra sab ba mi og kita ini bisan layo ang biyahe."

She also decided to bring her 50 coco midrib broom products or "silhig tukog" to the city to sell it to public market vendors for extra earnings, saying, "Gipahimuslan na lang namo ang pag-anhi para di mi maalkansi ba."

Outside the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, lukay traders revealed their products would surely be sold out because almost all churchgoers use and hang the leaves in their home doors after being blessed during the Holy Mass. 

"Bisan ka duha ra ni kaadlaw nga negosyo, sigurado di man gyod magmingaw kay pangdalhon man ni sa mga tawo," said 59-year-old Liza Nuñez of barangay Guadalupe in Carcar City.

Nuñez said they only spent for buying fern leaves which costs P3-P5 each because they already have coconut trees in their place, which saved them the cost for buying palm blades.

Fern leaves are mainly sourced from the province of Bohol and other provinces in Cebu.

For two days, she added, they could make not less than 700 pieces of elaborately designed palm fronds which are sold at P5 - P10 each, depending on the size and raw materials used.

At the end of the two-day business, they could earn more than P 4,000: "Mag gasto sab mi para pagkaon, tubig ug plete pauli sa probinsiya. Unya, naa pa man mahibilin gyod."

Vendors also shared during the off-season for palm frond making, they also engage in native broom production and raising and selling agricultural animals such as pig, goat, cow and chicken. (FREEMAN)