2023 National Food Fair: A Fusion of Tradition and Innovation

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The 2023 National Food Fair, bannering its theme of “Go Discover, Taste, Enjoy!” opened on Wednesday, July 12, in simple ceremonies headlined by Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual as the keynote speaker.

Organized by the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP) in coordination with the DTI Regional Operations Group, the 2023 National Food Fair runs from July 12 to 16, at the Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

Over 250 MSMEs from the country’s 17 regions are exhibiting their products onsite at the event venue. Simultaneously, an online national food fair on the Lazada e-commerce platform is also offering the products of participating MSMEs, for a wider market reach nationwide.

Showcasing the fusion of tradition and innovation, special settings, pavilions, and MSME clusters draw attention to developments that elevate traditional Filipino products to meet stringent food industry standards and be competitive in the global market. These are:

· Philippine Coconut Industry Pavilion and Coconut-Based MSME Cluster

· Philippine Food Industry Innovations Lounge

· Philippine Fruits and Nuts Pavilion

· Innovative and Biotech Products Cluster

· Rural Agro-Industrial Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) Project Pavilion

· Farm Fresh Produce Pavilion

· KAPEtirya or Philippine Coffee Pavilion

· Philippine Island Wine, Beer, and Juice Bar

For culinary enthusiasts, renowned Filipino chefs are part of the daily program of activities, with live cooking and food preparation demonstrations, among others. The lineup includes:

· The Ultimate Filipino Adobo: Stories Through the Ages book launching and cooking demonstrations (Chef Claude Tayag)

· Isang Dekada ng Guevarra’s: An Inspiring Story (Chef Laudico Guevarra)

· Fiesta Recipes (Chef Boy Logro)

· Halal Recipes and lavish feast during social occasions (Chef Yed Dimaporo & Mustapha Ala, Jr.)

· SIMPOL Recipes Using Coconut (Chef Tatung Sarthou)

· Culinary Kurobuta Masterpieces (Chef Donatello Montrone)

· Changing the Food Mindset: Slow Food (Chef Jam Melchor)

· Plant-based Desserts (Chef Aileen of Studio Plantmaed)

· Benefits of a Plant-based Diet (Chef Mylene Dolonius of Studio Plantmaed)

· Healthy Daily Recipes (Chef YLYT Frixiah Manaig)

· Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (Chef Eric Gruba)

· The Farm at San Benito (Rose Pagcaliwagan)

· Philippine Wine Mixology (Bartender Nino Cruz)

The culminating highlight of this celebration of the diversity and rich heritage of Filipino food is an interactive cultural presentation of the BARMM Pagana Maguindanao, led by Mustafa Ala and Chef Yed Dimaporo. Pagana is a traditional Maguindanaon celebration that holds great cultural significance in the Maguindanao province of the Philippines. It is a festive event that brings the community together to honor and celebrate important occasions such as weddings, religious holidays, or community milestones. The Pagana celebration is characterized by lively music, colorful costumes, and traditional dances that showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Maguindanaon people. 

The rhythmic beats of the kulintang ensemble, a musical ensemble composed of gongs, set the tone for the festivities, while traditional dances like the Singkil and Pangalay mesmerize the audience with their graceful movements. The event also offers a feast of traditional Maguindanaon cuisine, featuring flavorful dishes like LININGGIL A MANOK (chicken cooked in turmeric and coconut milk) and palapa (a spicy condiment made from chili and scallions). Pagana is not only a time of celebration but also an opportunity to strengthen community bonds, pass down cultural traditions to younger generations, and showcase the rich artistic talents of the Maguindanaon people.

Also part of the daily program are entrepreneurship talks and learning sessions that can offer food entrepreneurs with resources and ideas about how to strengthen and position their businesses for continued growth. 

The topics covered by various government agencies and partner-institutions participating in the daily program are:

· Coconut-based Coffee and/or Cacao Enterprise Development Project (Department of Agriculture)

· Geographical Indications and the Benefits of Registering One’s Trademark or Brand in IPOPHIL (Intellectual Property Office)

· Sustainable Planting and Replanting of Local Cultivars; Natural and Healthy Coconut Vinegar; Health Benefits of Coconut (Philippine Coconut Authority)

· Halal Culinary Tourism (Department of Tourism)

· Bioplastic Derived from Pineapple Waste Packaging Technology; Coco-Based Food Technologies (Department of Science and Technology)

· Kitchen Lab and Food Connect Plus (Philippine Trade Training Center)

· Dairy and Coconut Farming, A Viable Integrated Farming Enterprise (National Dairy Authority)

· Boosting Nutrition to Different MSMEs as Suppliers of Healthy Food Products (National Nutrition Council)

· Healthy Food Consumption Trends and Research on Health Benefits of Philippine Herbs (Department of Health)

· Franchising – A Way to Make Every Filipino Taste Your Lola’s Recipe (Philippine Franchising Association)

· Accelerating Growth Through One Research and Extension in Action (UP Los Baños-Agora)

· How MSMEs Can Thrive Online (Lazada)

· Unilever’s Healthy and Sustainable Food Program (Unilever Philippines)

· Maximizing Your Digital Marketing Potential with Analytics and Business Intelligence (Pamela Padilla)

The daily program of activities is open to the public and free of charge. For the benefit of remote viewers, these are also being livestreamed on BDTP social media channels.

To stay updated about the 2023 National Food Fair and other programs of the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, please follow their social media accounts on Facebook (DTI.BDTP), Instagram (dti.bdtp), and Twitter (@DTI_BDTP). You may also email BDTP Director Marievic M. Bononan at bdtp@dti.gov.ph.

DTI innovates with 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair to bolster food entrepreneurs

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With the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion is introducing innovations to help Filipino MSMEs recover and thrive in the new normal. This year, the 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair will combine the excitement of the traditional, physical event with the advantages and flexibility of a digital, online event.

In addition to the usual food fair held at a Metro Manila mall, the virtual components of the 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair allow the participation of exhibitors and visitors who could not be physically present due to travel restrictions and health protocols. Also, while the physical fair is slated to run for only 10 days from September 16 to 27, 2021, the online events are spaced across several months, thus providing the participating MSMEs with sustained market exposure for the whole year.

MSME Webinar Series

To help MSMEs prepare for the 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair and equip them skills to hurdle new challenges in growing their business, the Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion and the Philippine Trade Training Center organized a free webinar series covering the following topics:

· Digital Payment Workshop for MSMEs

· Penetrating Domestic Market thru Online Platform

· Facebook Business Page Development

· Click and Close: Social Media Navigation for Successful Negotiation

· Online Visual Merchandising

· Negotiating with Buyer (Covering Customer Service, Business Pitching)

The webinar series was held via Zoom and Facebook Live last May 5 to 7, 2021, and reached 24,200 views on social media.

Online National Food Fairs and Digital Promotions

SHOPEE.PH. Held last May 10 to 16, the Online National Food Fair on the Shopee PH platform showcased 3,500 products from 278 MSME Stores and the Go Lokal Official Store. Featured products included sweets, snacks, staples, breakfast food, superfood/healthy food, beverages, seasonings, and baking ingredients, among others. As of May 31, the campaign generated 2,900 orders equivalent to sales of PHP 1.61-million for the participating MSMEs. Having been onboarded to the online shopping platform, all Shopee Stores of the MSMEs remain accessible as permanent online stores. Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

MAYANI.PH. Another online venue for the Online National Food Fair is Mayani, a farm-to-table e-commerce platform focused mainly on agricultural products. Held periodically since June 2021, buyers can enjoy up to 30% markdowns on featured food and artisan products when shopping on www.mayani.ph/NFF. Fresh vegetables, fruits and upland crops from the Cordillera Administrative Region were marketed and sold online for the benefit of farmer cooperatives and indigenous people’s organizations under the DTI-led Integrated Natural Resources Environmental Management Project – Livelihood Enhancement Support 2.

LAZADA. Scheduled for August 8 to 12 as part of the Lazada Love Local 8.8 Sale, this Online National Food Fair will include 74 participating MSMEs from 13 regions nationwide. Featured products will consist of processed food and beverages, cooked food, halal products and cuisine, Filipino snacks, food packaging materials, condiments and other cooking ingredients, among others. MSME sellers who qualify will be onboarded to the Lazada platform for free. To promote the event, Lazada will livestream cooking demonstrations by Chef Oliver John Gomez, an alumnus of the Center for Culinary Arts who combines his culinary expertise with a passion for organic agriculture production. LazLive will also feature a mukbang session showcasing food products from the MSME Stores on Lazada. Mark your calendars and don't miss out, by clicking on https://www.lazada.com.ph/88-shop-local/.

NFF DIGITAL STORE. Also set to launch within the year is the NFF Digital Store hosted on UnionBank GlobalLinker, an e-commerce platform that allows MSMEs to connect to local and global B2B and B2C partners, suppliers, and customers. The integrated NFF Digital Store will give participating MSMEs access to functionalities and networks to help grow and manage their business. The NFF Digital Store will be another venue for food entrepreneurs to have a permanent presence online, thus expanding their market reach even beyond local borders and despite restricted movement. One hundred MSMEs are set to be among the initial exhibitors in the NFF Digital Store.

Physical National Food Fair

Tentatively scheduled for September 16 to 27, the 2021 National Food Fair will be held at the Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The exhibitor booths will be spread out across the Carousel Court, the Event Hall, and the Civic Drive Hallway of the mall.

A wide range of food products will be available during the event, including processed food and beverages, fresh produce and organic products, fresh and dried seafood, cooked food, halal products and cuisine, condiments and other cooking ingredients, dairy products, health and wellness products, food supplements, traditional cooking tools/equipment, food packaging materials and allied products, baskets and bayongs, labeling and food processing equipment, and even label and packaging design services.

The 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair is organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP) and with support from the Regional Operations Group (ROG).

For more information about the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, please follow their social media accounts @BDTP on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You may also email bdtp@dti.gov.ph.