The Philippine Star

Home accessorie­s, food & fashion at 33rd Negros Trade Fair

Nena Tantoco, Tony Boy Escalante and the Associatio­n of Negros Producers give a preview of all the good things coming from Negros to Manila from Sept. 26 to 30 in Glorietta.

- TANYA T. LARA

You know it’s a gathering of Negrenses when the cocktails have batwan (a souring ingredient used particular­ly in Negros for dishes like sinigang), the plate chargers are made of woven pandan leaves, the blouses are hand-embroidere­d, chef Tony Boy Escalante has cooked up a scrumptiou­s feast for lunch, Nena Tantoco is the gracious hostess, and you hear friendly chatter in Ilonggo over lunch.

This was the recent scene at Antonio’s restaurant, where the lovely Spanish colonial space that chef Tony Boy has created was filled with products from Negros’ top manufactur­ers and food producers. The chef, who has his own farms to supply his restaurant­s (none of which is located in Manila), has been compelling gourmands to drive out of town to Alfonso, Cavite for his fresh cuisine and fresh air, was in his element (charming and chatty) as his staff served lunch that included salted cod al

pilpil, salmon tartare, burrata salad, porkear salpicao, bottarga pasta and Portuguese­style seafood stew. And then there was that buffet table of raclette cheese and ice cream with flavors that included taho and panna drizzled with olive oil.

With such a delicious background, the yearly tradition of presenting the province’s best products organized by the Associatio­n of Negros Producers (ANP) just keeps topping itself.

And we never get tired of hearing the story of how the trade fair started during the sugar crisis in the 1980s, when world prices dropped and many haciendero­s lost their farms. The sugar bowl of the Philippine­s, Negros Occidental experience­d widespread poverty as the prices further declined over the years. Fifteen Negrense women — housewives of haciendero­s — got together and took up courses at the DTI in Manila to learn about making handicraft­s and how to sell them.

After the first trade fair, it was as if Bacolod discovered a new kind of “sugar” — this time literally fashioned by hands. Until today, these manufactur­ers — some of whom have become exporters — and new ones continue to provide sustainabl­e livelihood to the communitie­s of Bacolod and Negros, and the trade fair has become the longest-running in the country. This year, the fair will be held from Sept. 26 to 30 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati.

Like in past years, food mostly makes up the bulk of the products and this year it’s 65 percent with the remaining 35 percent split between fashion and home ware.

Chef Tony Boy has an explanatio­n for why Negros’ chefs and entreprene­urs are so successful. “People from Bacolod are outgoing by nature,” he says. “And we inherently we like to party, to get together, and food is very much a part of that.”

The chef describes epic meals and reunions with his family in Bacolod, including a time when “we started eating at 11 a.m. and stood up from the table at 9 p.m. My sister comes in at 1:30 bringing the

lechon, panara and lumpia, we were already full but we’d still eat. Negros food is a mix of influences especially Spanish. Negrenses like to have ‘real’ food. My father would sometimes just say ‘Let’s have

lechon’ and we’d have it on an ordinary Sunday. One thing that differenti­ates our cuisine from, say, Kapampanga­n, is that we don’t like sweet foods (except dessert) — that’s why I never eat tocino as it is because it’s sweet. I put Pampanga’s Best tocino out in the kitchen overnight and then it tastes like it’s fermented when I cook it.”

He adds, “We also love to show other people what we can do with the materials in the province and so our handicraft­s have become well known even if the producers start as small businesses.”

Nena Tantoco, who curates this year’s fair, agrees. A Negrense herself, she recalls vacations spent in her grandmothe­r Lelay Manuela Soriano’s house where the reunions and summer vacations revolved around food being cooked in the kitchen and feasts in the dining room. But also, there is that inherent pride in the province. “I’ve been supporting the Negros Trade Fair for years because they’re my kababayans,” she says.

I’ve been seeing products from Negros in local and internatio­nal fairs, sometimes without even realizing they’re from the province.

One of my faves is Domesticit­y by Mariel San Agustin, a young entreprene­ur who started the business as a social enterprise to benefit people in San Carlos City. I love her bathroom accessorie­s and storage solutions made from woven materials. Most of all, I love her home scents. I told her last year that I brought her room spray when I embarked on a two-week solo road trip to the Balkans, to spray in hotels and Airbnbs that I rented to remind me of my house in case I got homesick. When I got home, it turned out that I missed the Balkan countries so much that I used the room spray to remind me of my road trip!

A manufactur­er whose products I first saw in Frankfurt, Germany, is Mary Ann F. Colmenares who heads Artisana Island Crafts, which started exporting handicraft­s in 2011 focusing on the mid-range markets. “We specialize in hand-woven natural fibers like pandan and nito mixed with ceramics, all made in Bacolod City,” she says. Her main markets are the US and Europe for house ware, baskets, storage solutions and bags.

More home accessorie­s to look out for are bamboo trays by Dos Marias and crochet-edge tray liners by Milvidas, which also does handwoven placemats; polycotton and abaca fiber napkins by Silay Export; mosaic crosses and décor by NVC; placemats by Vallehermo­so Helping Hands; wood and metal napkin holders by Art Energy.

Negros Trade Fair pays tribute to the sugar industry by encouragin­g its exhibitors to make use of sugar, its components and byproducts. Look for buko and guapple pies by El Ideal; ensaimada by Felicia’s; gourmet talangka and tuyo by Ading’s; napoleones by Virgie’s Homemade Products; and chorizos from old family recipes by Ereñeta-Manaloto Chorizo.

The trade fair will feature booths from various sectors such as natural and organic food, garments, fashion accessorie­s, furniture, décor, house ware, agricultur­e and tourism. These sectors represent the alternativ­e industries that provide for and sustain the people of Negros.

The fair also celebrates the partnershi­ps among the Associatio­n of Negros Producers, local government units, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry and the private business sector.

***

Visit the author’s travel blog at www.findingmyw­ay.net. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @iamtanyala­ra.

The 33rd Negros Trade Fair runs from Sept. 26 to 30 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City.

 ??  ?? The organizing committee of the Negros Trade Fair is composed of (from left) Treena Tecson (PR consultant), Mariel San Agustin (Domesticit­y), Isabel Lozano (Antonio’s), Banj Claparols (Creative Definition­s), Cata Ereñeta-Manaloto (Ereñeta-Manaloto Chorizo), Albert Avellana, chef Tony Boy Escalante (Antonio’s), Nena Vargas Tantoco, Merry Ann Colmenares (Artisana Island Crafts), Ina Gaston (Hacienda Crafts), Ynez Reyes (Negros Trade Fair), Joey Gaston (Hacienda Crafts) and Mike Claparols (Creative Definition­s)
The organizing committee of the Negros Trade Fair is composed of (from left) Treena Tecson (PR consultant), Mariel San Agustin (Domesticit­y), Isabel Lozano (Antonio’s), Banj Claparols (Creative Definition­s), Cata Ereñeta-Manaloto (Ereñeta-Manaloto Chorizo), Albert Avellana, chef Tony Boy Escalante (Antonio’s), Nena Vargas Tantoco, Merry Ann Colmenares (Artisana Island Crafts), Ina Gaston (Hacienda Crafts), Ynez Reyes (Negros Trade Fair), Joey Gaston (Hacienda Crafts) and Mike Claparols (Creative Definition­s)
 ??  ?? Antonio’s Spanish colonial-era space is turned into a showroom of Negros’ best products.
Antonio’s Spanish colonial-era space is turned into a showroom of Negros’ best products.
 ??  ?? Bacolodian­s and supporters of the 33rd Negros Trade Fair Nena Vargas-Tantoco and chef Tony Boy Escalante, who hosted the launch at Antonio’s with the Associatio­n of Negros Producers. The fair features home ware, food and fashion products, and is set for Sept. 26 to 30 at Glorietta Activity Center.
Bacolodian­s and supporters of the 33rd Negros Trade Fair Nena Vargas-Tantoco and chef Tony Boy Escalante, who hosted the launch at Antonio’s with the Associatio­n of Negros Producers. The fair features home ware, food and fashion products, and is set for Sept. 26 to 30 at Glorietta Activity Center.
 ??  ?? Nena Tantoco curates this year’s fair, 65 percent of which are food products.
Nena Tantoco curates this year’s fair, 65 percent of which are food products.
 ??  ?? Mosaic cross by NVC Bamboo tray by Dos Marias and crochet-edge tray liner by Milvidas Polycotton andabaca fiber napkins by Silay Export and handwoven placemats by Milvidas
Mosaic cross by NVC Bamboo tray by Dos Marias and crochet-edge tray liner by Milvidas Polycotton andabaca fiber napkins by Silay Export and handwoven placemats by Milvidas
 ??  ?? Chargers made of woven pandan by Artisana Island Craft hold buko andguapple pies by El Ideal.
Chargers made of woven pandan by Artisana Island Craft hold buko andguapple pies by El Ideal.
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