Living in the Philippine capital for 20 years, the closest thing I have come to apprising myself on the latest about home (home is Bacolod City in the province of Negros Occidental) that has tangible evidence of progress are the products I see at the Negros Trade Fair that is held yearly in Metro Manila.
There, I would taste the sumptuous desserts and famous products from my province, see the amazing crafts and new designs created by my kasimanwas (this is the local dialect for people who come from the same town or province), and know the developments happening at home. The Negros Trade Fair was something I looked forward to when I was working as I already had the capability to purchase Negros products and patronize them.
Association of Negros Producers (ANP)
The Negros Trade Fair is organized by the Association of Negros Producers, Inc. (ANP) to showcase local crafts and products of the Negros Island to the nation’s capital. Those who couldn’t go to Negros would eventually have the opportunity to buy Negros products through this fair.
ANP has been around for years and is the leading micro-small medium enterprise-business service organization providing relevant, excellent products and services to stakeholders and the global marketplace. It provides support and mentoring assistance to its members so that they will have an opportunity to grow and operate on fair trade practices.
The ANP has and will continue to empower its member-producers through assisting, equipping and inspiring them to utilize their innate sense of creativity, hard work and passion in developing sustainable entrepreneurial endeavors that uplift lives and contribute towards economic development.
The good thing about this is that when you patronize the products of the member-producers of ANP, you are also helping communities with their livelihood and, at the same time, enabling start-up businesses to flourish.
The Negros Showroom
The Negros Showroom, located at the 9th Lacson Street of Bacolod City, is a social enterprise wrought out of the sugar crisis. The brainchild of the ANP, it represents close to 100 companies and sustains thousands of Negrense families. The rare and storied treasures that are on display at the Negros Showroom gives visitors a peek into the charming and oftentimes intriguing Negrense lifestyle.
My mother would go to the Negros Showroom to buy gifts for her visiting friends whenever they come to our province. Lately, I visited it, too, and found these products that friends and families, both here and outside of Negros Occidental, will surely like – souvenir shirts, mugs, bookmarks, candle holder, crafty decors, and food items.
Delicious Pasalubong
The Negros Showroom and the Negros Trade Fair features a wide array of delectable native delicacies that are not only a “must-taste” but also a “must-take-home”. A variety of renowned producers, such as: Chicken Inasal, Caramel Tarts, Mango Tarts, Flavored Barquillos, Crunchy Squid Rings, Pili Crumble and more are sold at the Negros Trade Fair.
When my mother’s college batch mates from other parts of the country and abroad came for a mini-reunion in Bacolod City, she bought boxes of delicacies for them to take home. One favorite of ours are the Sugarlandia products, with barquillos as the most popular. Sugarlandia Barquillos, as a cottage industry in the 60’s, became one of the pioneer members of then National Cottage Industry Development Administration (NACIDA). It then carried the label “Delicious Barquillos Homemade by Tiya Dami.” Once can also taste quality dessert and food products of the ELG Gourmet Foods, known for its specialty artisanal breads and select sinfully delish desserts.
Aside from these famous treats, natural and organic food products are also available, especially that Negros Occidental is fast-becoming in its popularity as an organic province. There are mascovado, native cacao, ginger/turmeric tea, and other personalized care products that are worth checking out.
Fashion, Crafts and Home Accents
Take-home goodies or pasalubongs are certainly not limited to edible sweets. Apparels and accessories, bags, reusable souvenir totes, and other products made by businesses that provide livelihood to rural families are also part of the Negros Trade Fair, which can also be found at the Negros Showroom. Just take for example the attractive Azatri souvenir shirts.
Crafts that has the ingenious use of sustainable natural products are gathered and created into masterpieces. One takes fibers growing wild in the Negros island, like the “tinalak” and “maranaw” and turn them into fashion lamps, baskets and house decors. There are also unique architectural and interior designs of decorative accessories for the ceiling and the floor as well as art pieces by Rodney Martinez, with his bold paintings of warmth and joy, and by Jojo Vito, with his colorful masks that are the symbol of Bacolod City’s Masskara Festival.
30th Negros Trade Fair
Would you believe that the ANP has been running the Negros Trade Fair for 30 years now? This year, it will celebrate thirty years of brilliance, authenticity, and dynamic partnerships coming together as one voice, one region. The 30th Negros Trade Fair, which will take place on September 16 to 20, 2015 at the Glorietta Activity Center in the City of Makati, promises to share not only to the whole country but to the rest of the world what is “Truly Negros”.
The Negros Trade Fair will also launch a new mobile game application, called KaBaLoKa (a Hiligaynon term for “Did you know…?”) that tests the player’s knowledge of the province’s attractions – from its people, places, festivals, food, and so much more.
Special events will also be held at the Glorietta Activity Lobby throughout the duration of the Negros Trade Fair. You can also tweet using #ntf30atglorietta or keep yourself posted on the happenings as you follow this hashtag.
So if you want to have a taste, feel and experience of what is “Truly Negros”, you can visit the Negros Trade Fair this year, and the years after or if you happen to come to Bacolod, you can stop by the Negros Showroom and enjoy the best products of Negros. As you purchase an item or two, you are also helping a family in Negros earn a living.
For more updates, check out www.negrostradefair.com or www.facebook.com/thenegrostradefair or contact them at +6334-4341600 or +63-998-536-0788 or email them at [email protected].