The next Negros trade fair goes beyond piaya, sneakers, and coconut. It's about culture and heritage.
The best bite of piaya—a ubiquitous street food in Negros Occidental—is the first one 30 seconds after it’s taken off the pan. Warm, caramelized muscovado sugar filling mixes with the nutty flavor of sesame seeds on a bed of warm, flaky flatbread. One bite is not enough to fully appreciate the muted sweetness of the muscovado, so you take another bite. This time, you chew slowly to give yourself time to savor how the gooey filling turns the crust into a delectable masterpiece.
Humble, flat, and round, the piaya has inspired many variations for its filling: ube halaya, nutty chocolate, mango jam, calamansi custard, turmeric, oregano, basil pesto, and even chorizo.
Find some of these flavors, plus a whole world of Negrense cuisine, crafts, fashion, wellness products, and artisan home pieces at Himbon: The 39th Negros Trade Fair.
From Sept. 23 to 28, SMX Aura Convention Center at SM Aura Premier will be filled with 140 booths bearing offerings created by 139 vendors and partners from the province of Negros.
Each of the participating artisans is rooted in the Negrense values of innovation and resilience.
A fair of milestones
“This is our largest fair to date, featuring many exciting firsts,” said Christina Gaston, president of the Association of Negros Producers (ANP) at the recently held media preview of the fair. ANP is the moving force behind NTP, which is the country’s longest-running provincial trade fair.
Turning the page to a new chapter, NTP will make its debut at SM Aura Premier and SMX Aura Convention Center. Spanning nearly 2,500 square meters, this new location for NTP can accommodate more entrepreneurs and artisans. More than that, however, holding NTP in a new mall opens it up to a wider group of customers and partners.
“By choosing [this venue], we have a chance to engage with a new audience, broadening the market range of the trade fair,” Gaston continued.
Steven Tan, president of SM Supermalls, is excited to help expand opportunities for progress in Negros.
“At SM, we believe malls are not just spaces for shopping. They are platforms for culture, community, and connection,” Tan said. “Together with the ANP, we are bringing the richness of Negros to the heart of the metro, making heritage accessible to more Filipinos, and giving our MSMEs a stage where tradition meets modernity.”
Beyond enjoying this new partnership, this year’s NTP also marks the highest number of participating local government units, underscoring ANP’s efforts to nurture progress in Negros. Non-government units will also be there, including Kalipay Negrense Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children, and NVC (Negrense Volunteers for Change) Foundation, which works to boost the nutrition, education, and livelihood efforts in poverty-stricken communities.
Organizers are especially looking forward to, for the first time, hosting a big contingent from Negros Oriental, including Siliman University from Dumaguete. It’s no wonder that Himbon is the theme of this year’s NTP. In Hiligaynon, it means “to gather.” Come Sept. 23 to 28, a veritable Negrense reunion is taking place in Manila, and everyone is invited.
With 90 vendors in all, this vibrant marketplace has much to offer visitors.
What’s in store:
- Authentic Negrense flavors, offered through heirloom recipes and artisanal delicacies. While some are prepared using traditional ways of Negrense cooking, others offer modern culinary twists. (Have a taste of the chorizo piaya.)
at Himbon.
- Heritage fashion and design. Among many others, check out Lakat sneakers, which are made from pineapple fibers; Vivo Handmade, which offers handwoven garments; and Ellege Handcrafted’s smocked dresses, which are exported to France.
- Artisan home and lifestyle pieces made with natural fibers, such as pandan, buri, and coconut. The export-ready pieces by Hacienda Crafts and Madera Handicrafts may be too pretty to pass up.
- Live cultural performances that allow the Manila market to experience the soul of Negros.
All for Negrense creative entrepreneurs
It turns out that the highly anticipated annual Negrense marketplace is just one of the items on ANP’s to-do list to promote the creative economy of Negros.
On Aug. 23, “ANP became the first-ever industry association that has partnered with TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) to help them set what is needed in the creative sector,” said Mary Anne Colmenares, vice president of ANP. “We’ll help TESDA create industry boards like ANP, where the workforce—our artisans—are continually trained and identified so that they can grow and be sustained.”
Officially, ANP makes up the Regional Industry Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Board for the creative sector in the Negros Island Region (NIR). It’s just as well, since ANP is co-chairing the Regional Development Council of NIR, the highest policy-making body in the region in terms of economic development.
Such an accomplished organization does command trust in the annual trade fair that it organizes mainly for its members. Not only does it spread awareness of the Negrense culture—it also serves as an invitation to visit Negros.
“This is one place where people will definitely feel the warmth of Negros immediately,” said Gaston.
