32nd Negros Trade Fair (Makati City)

The annual Negros Trade Fair (NTF), the proudly longest running provincial trade fair in the Philippines, is now on its 32nd edition. 

Held from September 27-October 1, 2017 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, it was anchored on the theme “Food for Thought” which will highlight popular Negrense cuisine, the best Negrense chefs and the best locally sourced ingredients. 

Negrosanon-inspired products taking center stage include poultry meat products (chicken, duck, lamb), dried fish, fresh seafood (including blue crabs), and a soothing array of locally-produced tea or coffee paired with an assortment of delectable Negrosanon-inspired ready-to-eat finger foods and pastries.

Chef Tom Bascon

Chef Claudia Schulze

Food stalls featured Ilonggo dishes such as kansi, KBL, La Paz batchoy, and chorizo pudpud by Inasalan sa Dalan; ready to eat adobo pitao (quail adobo) by T-Flavors; assorted delicacies and pasalubong (including the famous Napoleones) by Virgie's Homemade Products; recado and hamonado chorizo by Ereneta-Manaloto Chorizo; batchoy, pancit Molo, and kansi panada by Ilonggo Chef JP Anglo of Sarsa Kitchen; handmade ensaymada by Felicia's Pastry Shop (Bacolod); bottled condiments, sauces, and honey by Christdel's Garden; the dulce gatas of El Ideal Bakery; freshly made piaya, in assorted flavors, by Fresh Start and Sir Jess Deli & Cafe (Bacolod); assorted local snacks and delicacies by Sugarlandia; and bottled sauces, dips, and ready to eat food by Casa Carmela.

El Ideal Bakery

Other food stalls include Margie’s Cakes & Pastries, Veloria Squid Rings, Shiena's Homemade Products, Ading's Gourmet Tuyo, JDL Nachos Factory, Clara's Foods, The Sweet Life by Ange, Cibo, Manolo's, Elsie's, Aidas and Kusina Jamora.

Since it began in 1985, the NTF continues to provide the small and medium enterprises of Negros Occidental with an affordable venue for the current 72 exhibitors from the Association of Negros Producers (ANP) to showcase their individual ingenuity as well as provide a platform for possible export trade.  This highly successful event continues to highlight the best of Negros’ artisanal products (Creative Definitions, Domesticity, Kiculo, Silay Export, Art Energy, etc.), attractions and personalities.  Products range from food (natural and organic), fashion accessories, garments, furniture and furnishings, gifts décor and house wares.  Tourism is also presented.

The stage with the Maria Ledesma Golez Ancestral House backdrop

The Negros First Booth

Art Energy Booth

The “Arima!”(referring to the gathering of hacienda workers, around 6 AM, in front of the “encargado” or overseer), a cocktail reception on September 26 (around 6 p.m. Tuesday), was the opening ritual for the NTF. It features 6 guest chefs with Negrense roots (Claudia Schulze, Joel Torre, J.P. Anglo, Tom Bascon, Nico Millanes and Don Colmenares) who will use ingredients from the Negros First Booth in cooking various dishes for visitors.

The whole day of September 27 is Silay City Day. Silay City (“ang Banwa sang Dulce”) was one of the first local government units to extended support to this economic-tourism event.  September 28, another special day, features a special performance of the St. Scholastica’s Manila Choir on stage, with the Maria Ledesma Golez Ancestral House, a Silay heritage house, as backdrop, the. This will be followed by “High Tea Time.” 

Negros Trade Fair: www.negrostradefair.com.