Artisan chorizo piaya, marang jam, frozen batchoy kits, chicken inasal pate, and a lot of interesting food and non-food items await shoppers at the 37th Negros Trade Fair, which is ongoing until Oct. 1 at the Glorietta Activity Center.
Showcasing the diverse talents and offerings of the Negrenses, the fair is a dynamic celebration of identity, creativity, and unity.
This year’s theme is “Amuma,” a Hiligaynon word that means “to nurture.”
“Well, nothing exemplifies nurturing than the Negros Trade Fair,” said Michael “Mike” Claparols, chairman of the 37th Negros Trade Fair (NTF), during the media launch held in Bacolod. “We’ve been nurturing micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) for the past 37 hears and hopefully we continue to serve them in the future.”
This year, local government units (LGUs) share in the commitment to celebrating the Negrense culture. Among the participating LGUs are Bacolod City, Talisay City, Silay City, the Municipality of Toboso, Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto, Municipality of Isabela, Municipality of La Castellana, Municipality of Hinigaran, Bago City, Cadiz City, Sagay City, Sipalay City, San Carlos Cit
y, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, District 2, and District 3.
Additionally, the Department of Trade and Industry - Region VI has also partnered with The Negros Trade Fair, empowering local entrepreneurs and supporting their growth.
The annual event, which is the longest-running in the country, is more than just a trade fair, exhibition and a showcase of Negrense products.
“It’s a story of resilience, ingenuity, hope, and courage in the face of the global sugar crisis then,” shared Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson. “It’s primary objective is to provide a platform for our MSMEs to expand their reach and seek opportunities for export and trade.”
Amuma seeks to encapsulate the essence of Negrense culture by highlighting its generosity, welcoming spirit, and open-heartedness.
It also stands as a reminder of the Negrenses’ resilience — their unwillingness to yield to adversity — which has enabled them to survive, thrive, and even prosper.
NEGROS TRADE FAIR: HOW IT ALL STARTED
“Didto sa amon, ang kwarta gina piko kag gina pala. (In our place, money is handled with pickaxe and shovel).”
You’ve probably heard this joke on the Ilonggos and Negrenses countless times before. I have because both my parents are from Sugarlandia. It’s an overstatement, of course. But the real meaning of this expression varies depending on one’s social status.
Touted as the “Sugar Bowl of the Philippines,” Negros Occidental is a land of extreme wealth and yes, extreme poverty.
When sugar was still a prized commodity, the Negrenses really lived the high life. This was exemplified by the number of haciendas that dot the province, and the legendary Kahirup Ball where the ladies wear heirloom jewelry studded with diamonds the size of a marble.
“That also explains why De La Salle University in Bacolod has a helipad. Students who spent their weekends in their ancestral homes would take the chopper to school on Mondays,” shared Raymond Alunan, tourist information officer, as we passed by the imposing ancestral homes of famous Negrenses in Silay. We were in Bacolod for the media launch and preview of the 37th NTF.
Sadly, everything changed when many sugar-exporting countries like the Philippines suffered a sharp drop in world sugar market price from 1984 to 1986.
That collapse not only altered the lives of the rich and famous but also devastated the sugar workers who lost their livelihood. Who can forget the image of “Batang Negros” Joel Abong, the malnourished boy whose photograph by Pulitzer Prize winner Kim Komenich who “brought to the world the sorry state of hunger in Negros Occidental in the ‘80s?”
So for the obreros (laborers), the phrase, “Didto sa amon, ang kwarta gina piko kag gina pala,” has a totally different meaning. Unlike the wealthy hacienderos, they actually had to piko and pala under the hot sun just so they could put food on the table.
Sadly, life in Sugarlandia isn’t as sweet as it used to be.
That dire situation forced the Negrenses to brace and look for ways to help themselves out of their economic misery.
While the sugar barons were still reeling from the loss, their wives stepped up.
“They sold their heirloom jewelry and other priced possessions just so they could start anew,” Raymond related.
They turned to their creativity, charm, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial spirit and started making products — from parol to food items, clothes, homeware and home decor — to sell in Manila. And this gave birth to the Negros Trade Fair in 1985, which was held in the parking lot at the corner of Edsa and Ayala Avenue.
37 YEARS OF NURTURING MSMEs
“MSMEs comprise around 98 percent of the businesses in the province,” said Gov. Lacson during the media preview at the Social Hall of the Negros Provincial Capitol. “This sector helps spur economic growth, job creation and poverty elimination.”
The event also serves as a platform to promote and showcase the products of the MSMEs assisted by the provincial government.
“Facilitated by various offices, including the Technology and Livelihood Development
Center, Office of the Provincial Agriculture, Provincial Veterinary Office, and the Provincial Environment and Management Office,” added Gov. Lacson.
In partnership with the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), the local government units (LGUs) look for MSMEs in their towns and cities and refer them to the TLDC for support.
TLDC trains these MSMEs not only to develop, process and package their products, but also provides them with branding and marketing support.
This has resulted in some interesting and delectable products like the crisp and flavorful chips made of aratilis (sarissa) leaves, cranberry jam and juice, Tomato-Mansi Cocktail, chocolate kamias, among many others.
Around 80 of them are showcasing their products at this year’s Negros Trade Fair, which is ongoing until Oct.1 at the Glorietta Activity Center.