The Negros Trade Fair, the longest running trade show in the Philippines held every third week of September at the Glorietta Activity Center, Makati features booths selling the best products from Negros Island.
It was born during the peak of the sugar crisis and 14 enterprising women and a gentleman bonded themselves together to produce products locally in order to provide livelihood for the sugarcane farmworkers who were greatly affected by the crisis.
The Negros Trade Fair today is a far cry from its humble beginnings at the “House of Negros Fair” in 1985 at the then QUAD Carpark in the Makati Commercial Center. Their products then were simple and the quality were not good but people buy their products in order to help the Negrenses. Today, people buy Negros products because of their excellent design and quality.
Negros Trade Fair 2019
It’s been 34 years since the first Negros Trade Fair in Manila in 1985. Each year since then the Association of Negros Producers (ANP) has been successfully presenting the products and services that Negros has to offer. The event grants small to medium businesses in the island the opportunity to showcase their best of the best, paving the way to their exposure on a national level, and to an even larger market. In turn, the rest of country is given a glimpse and a taste of the renowned Negrense decadence through the generous servings of art, an array of meticulous designs and skilled craftsmanship and, of course, a seemingly never-ending menu of excellent food.
With this year’s theme of Timeless Traditions, the Negros Trade fair aims to sell not only its products, but what is essentially Negros herself: from the culture and lifestyle, to the land and its people, and to the stories and history which many of her traditions stem from. Through this year’s event, which has now become a part of Negros’ tradition, ANP hopes to share with the Metro what can aptly and appropriately be described as a stew of an island’s many flavors, with the generations-worth of ingenuity, dedication, perseverance, and impeccable taste as the core ingredients.
The Negros Trade Fair will open from September 25 to 29, 2019 at the Glorietta Activity Center, in Makati. You can expect that the Negros trade Fair will take you where the past is the present and the old blends with the new; lets you experience the undying Negrense traditions, the tastes and crafts of yesterday that live on today as Timeless Traditions.
Here are 10 Reasons to Visit the Negros Trade Fair Every Year
1. Reunion with Negrense Friends and Relative
Every year, Negrenses in Manila look forward to the Negros Trade Fair so they can have an impromptu reunion with friends and family. It’s usually unplanned but most already know that their fellow Negrenses will surely visit the Negros Trade Fair so why not take advantage of the event to meet up and update each other.
Every year there is also the Tipon Negrosallians, a fellowship for Manila-based alumni of the University of Saint La Salle and Saint Joseph School.
2. Savor and Take Home Delectable Negrense Food
Prepare yourself for a gastronomic treat at the Negros Trade Fair with delectable native delicacies such as Chicken Inasal, Caramel Tarts, Mango Tarts, Barquillos, Crunchy Squid Rings, Pili Crumble and more! Every food you miss in Negros will be available at the Negros Trade Fair.
A special preview and cocktails entitled “Arima! The Governor’s Night” before the opening is held to welcome government leaders, industry partners, sponsors and the media so this event is by invitation only. On this night, the Negros Trade Fair brings together Negrense chefs to showcase the flavors of Negros.
3. Experience How Negrenses Celebrate
If you’re not a Negrense, then you will get the chance to experience how Negrenses celebrate. There’s usually a Negrense festival being featured so you’ll get a preview of the vibrant color and rhythm of festivals such as Bacolod’s MassKara Festival. Bacolod City recreates its famous festival at Glorietta with a display of happy and smiling masks and a performance of MassKara dancers to enliven the mall and entertain the visitors. This is an invitation and a preview of the MassKara Festival held every third weekend of October.
4. Start a Healthier Lifestyle with Organic and Natural Products
If you want to start a healthier lifestyle or already into Natural and Organic products, you will feel at home at the Negros Trade Fair. Negros Island is not the “Organic Food Bowl” of the Philippines for nothing. Shop for your favorite muscovado, native cacao, ginger/turmeric tea, and other natural and organic products at the Negros Trade Fair.
5. Buy Quality Handcrafted Products
Discover Negrense resourcefulness and creativity through their ingenious use of materials. Fibers made from local materials are turned into lamps, baskets, and laminated home decors. Different parts of the coconut tree are turned into different home accessories. There are also charming ceramic and melted bottle pieces which are not only eye candy but are functional as well.
Negrenses are known to be trendsetters and create fashionable products with passion. Visit the Negros trade Fair for trendy bags, reusable totes, and unique fashion accessories.
6. Buy Sustainable and Environment Friendly Products
Anchored on the humble beginnings, most members of the ANP are social enterprises producing sustainable and environment friendly products, using local raw materials and employing Negrenses. The ANP strongly support the programs of the provincial government on environment
7. Do Your Christmas Shopping in September
September is the start of the “ber” months and in the Philippines, this is traditionally the start of the Christmas season. Avoid the rush, have your list ready and do your Christmas shopping in September at the Negros Trade Fair. You can also buy Christmas decors at the Negros Trade Fair!
8. Buy Local and Support the Negrense Communities
One of the best ways to help the local communities is to buy local products. Members of the Association of Negros Producers use local raw materials and provide employment to Negrenses. If you buy their products, you are also helping the economy of Negros Island. Their products are also high quality and exquisitely designed.
9. Learn About the Producers’ Inspiring Stories
The members of the Association of Negros Producers are Micro, Small and Medium enterprises and each of them has their own story to tell. From budding entrepreneurs to seasoned mentors, you can learn much form their successes and failures. Take this opportunity to hear inspiring stories from social enterprises who uplifts the lives of marginal Negrenses through the products they produce.
10 There’s Always Something New at The Negros Trade Fair
Every year, the Association od Negros Producers hold the Bulawan Awards which acknowledged the excellence of the members of the ANP for more than 20 years already. The ANP members develop new products and vie for Bulawan Awards for various categories. The products usually debut on the market during the Negros Trade Fair so if you want to buy the trendiest products from Negros Island, visit the Negros Trade Fair.
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