MANILA, Philippines — Four decades after it began as a small gathering of local producers during one of Negros’ most difficult economic periods, the Negros Trade Fair is returning to Metro Manila for its biggest milestone yet.
The 40th edition, themed “Bútlak,” will run from September 22 to 27, 2026, at the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura, Taguig, bringing together 178 brands representing food, fashion, furniture, crafts, art, home products, tourism, and other creative industries from the Negros Island Region and Siquijor.
The word Bútlak, a Hiligaynon term associated with the rising of the sun, first light, or blooming, was chosen as a symbol of how Negrense enterprises have grown from adversity into a broader creative and entrepreneurial community.
From economic crisis to a 40-year tradition
The story of the Negros Trade Fair is closely tied to the economic crisis that followed the collapse of the sugar industry.
According to reports on the fair’s history, its beginnings can be traced to a group of 30 vendors who gathered at the Makati Carpark to sell local products and crafts. For communities heavily dependent on sugar, food production, weaving, furniture-making, handicrafts, and other creative work became alternative sources of livelihood.
That initiative eventually helped pave the way for the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), which has since worked to develop and connect micro, small and medium enterprises, artisans, producers, and other local businesses with larger markets.
Forty years later, what began as a response to economic uncertainty has evolved into one of the country’s longest-running provincial trade fairs in Metro Manila.
The Philippine News Agency reported that the ANP has again partnered with the Design Center of the Philippines, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, for the milestone edition.
178 brands showcase a changing Negros
This year’s fair is also intended to present a wider picture of Negros.
While the region remains strongly associated with its sugar heritage, the 2026 edition puts greater attention on its growing communities of designers, food entrepreneurs, artisans, artists, manufacturers, hospitality businesses, and other creative enterprises.
Participating brands are expected to represent Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, reflecting the broader regional identity now associated with the event.
The lineup also reaches beyond the region itself, with reports noting collaborations involving silk weavers from Aklan and artisans from the Kanlaon area, alongside homegrown hospitality and other businesses.
For ANP, the goal is not simply to fill exhibition booths. The trade fair serves as a platform where local producers can meet consumers, retailers, partners and potential markets.
Food remains one of the biggest draws
For many longtime visitors, however, the fastest route to discovering Negros is still through its food.
The 40th Negros Trade Fair will feature established names such as Bob’s Cafe, 21 Restaurant, Bacolod Chicken House, El Ideal Bakery and Virgie’s Homemade Products, together with newer food concepts and artisanal producers.
The fair’s food component reflects Negros’ reputation for distinctive regional cuisine, heritage food products and slow-food traditions.
Visitors can expect the familiar flavors associated with the island alongside products and concepts from newer generations of entrepreneurs.
Fashion, weaving and sustainable design take center stage
The fair is also expanding its fashion and lifestyle offerings.
Participating labels include Camille Villanueva, StyleLoft, Pinas Sadya, Reveri by Ria Bolivar, Donata by Kate Singson, Ellege, Lakat and Hacienda Mar, according to Tatler Asia’s report on the milestone edition.
Local materials such as abaca, bamboo, rattan, hablon, piña and natural dyes are being incorporated into contemporary fashion, accessories and lifestyle products.
Furniture and home design will likewise remain major parts of the exhibition, with brands including Hacienda Crafts, Art Energy, Artisana, Noah, Madera Handicrafts and NVC Foundation, alongside artists and galleries.
The emphasis reflects a larger trend within regional design: transforming traditional materials and techniques into products suited to contemporary homes and consumers.
A stronger platform for MSMEs
The importance of the trade fair extends beyond shopping.
The Association of Negros Producers describes its role as helping brands grow and contributing to economic development, while the fair itself functions as a platform for connecting producers with wider markets.
The previous edition offers an indication of the fair’s growing economic reach.
According to the Philippine News Agency, the 39th Negros Trade Fair in 2025 attracted about 41,000 visitors, with 139 exhibitors generating ₱54.5 million in spot sales and ₱97 million in business-to-business transaction bookings.
The 40th edition is expected to build on that momentum with a significantly larger lineup.
GMA News reported that the 2026 event will bring together 178 brands, while another GMA report described the fair as featuring 178 booths and more than 115 Negrense entrepreneurs.
More than a trade fair
After 40 years, Bútlak is ultimately a story about what happens when communities turn creativity into opportunity.
The event’s organizers are looking beyond the nostalgia of its four-decade history and toward the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The fair’s expanded regional participation also signals an effort to define Negros through a broader collection of industries and creative traditions rather than through a single economic identity.
From food producers and weavers to furniture makers, designers, artists and emerging entrepreneurs, Bútlak presents Negros as an island region whose identity continues to evolve.
And for Metro Manila shoppers, it offers a chance to experience that evolution under one roof.
EVENT DETAILS
BÚTLAK: The 40th Negros Trade Fair
📅 September 22–27, 2026
📍 SMX Convention Center, SM Aura, Taguig City
🕙 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
The event is organized by the Association of Negros Producers in partnership with SM and other collaborators. SMX Convention Center lists the fair as running from September 22 to 27, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bottom line: Forty years after 30 local vendors helped launch a new path for Negros’ producers, Bútlak arrives as a much larger celebration—178 brands, six days, and a region determined to show Metro Manila that there is far more to Negros than its sugarlandia past.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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