Curious Curator launches with art exhibition on “The Quiet Strength of a Woman” featuring two Ilonggo artists

The Filipino art scene has been evolving and flourishing in recent years. Our artists are getting rave reviews in auctions and exhibitions abroad, while local art events like Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines are staged with resounding success. This signals not only a renewed appreciation for Filipino art by locals and foreigners alike, but also the eager interest and growing population of art enthusiasts in the country. It is within this context that the idea of Curious Curator was formed by a pair of art enthusiasts. 

Curious Curator was conceptualized in order to help budding and potential artists from outside Metro Manila, especially from the Visayas and Mindanao, penetrate the mainstream art scene. Keeping the welfare of the artist front and center, Curious Curator manages the financial, marketing and sales aspect of the collaboration so that the artist can focus on the creation process. Curated and conceptual art exhibitions are held in non-traditional venues to reach a wider audience.  This enables the startup to promote the evolving Filipino artistry while diversifying and simplifying ways that budding art collectors can secure original but affordable art pieces.

To officially launch Curious Curator, two Ilonggo artists will be featured as the first curated artists in an exhibition entitled, “Ang Maugdang nga Kusog sang Babaye.”  Showing contrasting perspectives on the “quiet strength of a woman,” the exhibit will feature two entirely different artists who are both lovers of the silhouette of a woman. One is a man; the other, a woman. One is a sculptor; the other, a painter. One is seasoned; the other, budding.

For Harry Mark Gonzales, “How I carve shapes and movement is how I appreciate and celebrate the beauty and strength of a woman.” The 34-year old effortlessly manipulates cold-cast marble into stunning silhouettes of women. His love affair with marble started after his “A Protest Over Guimaras Oil Spill” terra cotta sculpture bagged the grand prize at the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Awards in 2007.  A self-taught artist, his material mastery was honed by years of experience under the influence of respected artist Ed Defensor, allowing him to create some of Iloilo City’s most important landmarks.

Inspired by poet and artist Akiane Kramarik, 21-year-old Kat Malazarte pursues spirituality as the main theme in her body of work, recognizing this as the core of a woman’s strength.  “A woman’s quiet strength is her resilience. That no matter the storms that rage at her life… she, in the end, rises.” This is beautifully captured in strokes that convey the depth and mystical quality of the woman, strokes that have been meticulously guided by the late Norce Salazar. A Vision Petron National 
Student Art Competition Grand Prize winner for the video-making category in 2015 for her entry, “Tingnan Nang Malapitan, Damhin Nang Malaliman,” Kat is the first cum laude graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program of the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City.

The 18-piece collection of eight oil paintings and ten cold-cast marble sculptures creates a visual feast that pays homage to the strength that allows women to endure.

The exhibit runs from September 30, 2016, 6:00pm to October 2, 2016, 6:00pm at _GALLERY at A SPACE, 5th floor, 110 Legazpi St, Makati City and is staged by Curious Curator with their partners A SPACE, Nipa Brew and 034 creatives. An Artists’ Talk is scheduled on October 1, 2016 at 2:00pm with the two featured artists to share their thoughts on the theme as well as their creative process. For more information, you may contact Curious Curator at 09178828299, or email them at curiouscuratorph@gmail.com or visit fb.com/curiouscuratorph or www.curiouscurator.ph.

Smart's contribution to inclusive growth

Stephanie Orlino, the Senior Manager for Public Affairs and Education Program Head of Smart Communications, Inc., has been in the field of community development with Smart for 14 years now. She has been focusing on crafting and implementing sustainable, community-based education programs.

With her efforts to elevate education in our country with the aid of technology, she brought Smart to Fortune magazine with her SWEEP (Smart Wireless Engineering Program). It was cited magazine as one of the companies that makes a social and environmental impact through business strategy and operations.

As an advocate for education, she firmly believes that education is not the just the responsibility of the teachers and the parents, but everyone. Also, she encourages people to take part in supporting and developing education in the country because it is our best root towards development, in all aspects.  


What are the education programs of Smart?

• Tertiary Level

Smart has a roster of programs from basic education all the way to tertiary. But ironically, back in 2003, they started with tertiary level.  

Stephanie Orlino together with her team wanted to aid schools with new technological advancements to enable communities. Thus, SWEEP (Smart Wireless Engineering Program) was organized and it has been running for 13 years now. The program aims to improve the level of technology and engineering education in the Philippines, particularly in the field of Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE). They partner with different colleges and universities all over the country that offer engineering and information technology programs.

SWEEP supports the partner schools by producing up-to-date content and equipment, as well as hands-on trainings, seminars and internships. Smart is aware that theories are strong and sufficient in schools; however, the application of what students learn are lacking. In most cases, what students study in books to what is happening in the industry is way different. Especially, nowadays, the industry of technology is fast-paced and change happens constantly. A lot of schools can’t keep up with these changes in technology. As a result, SWEEP embeds the same training in information and technology that their employees get to the students and teachers.

Smart’s own engineers and personnel train the students and teachers to give the students not just theories but also first-hand experience. The topics that are included in SWEEP are very unique and practical compared to ones in the academe like 3G and LTE.

Yearly, Smart holds awarding ceremonies to encourage innovation and excellence in wireless application development among the partner schools of SWEEP. This serves as a litmus test to gauge the acquired knowledge of the students and teachers. In like manner, it gives opportunity for the scholars to apply what they have learned to develop a wireless application. School teams and applications that have potential are turned into startup companies.  And as of now, there are already four startups developed by SWEEP’s scholars.

• Basic Education

Technocart

It is a 2ft x 2ft cart digital laboratory that contains tablets, laptop, projector, and pocket Wifi. It also comes with content; child and curriculum development, training, and monitoring. The cart costs 200,00 php.

The project was inspired by the famous local education TV show “Batibot”. Their goal is to develop and enhance kindergarten literacy, ranging from alphabet to basic math, in public schools.


School-in-a-Bag

Talking about technology for all and inclusive growth, urban areas should not only be the one who are prioritized. And because of “electricity barrier” in more than 300 remote areas in the country, Smart has come up with a project similar to Technocart. This project is called “School-in-a-Bag”.

School-in-a-Bag is a learning tool package donated to public schools without electricity. It is literal backpack that has solar panel, battery, LED TV, laptop, tablet, pocket wife and learning modules.


Smart helps bring digital learning to remote communities by giving relevant content and engaging both teachers and students to updated innovations even they are far from civilization.


Technology bridges the digital divide

Smart don’t claim to be experts in the field of academe. But they practice inclusivity and partnership and work with the experts, teachers, scientists and non-government officials.

The programs of Smart don’t just aid schools to upgrade their technology because gadgets are very much accessible to everyone and primarily, technology is not their end goal. They aim to cater technology for all; to be a delivery mechanism that teaches students and teachers to use technology to enable individual growth, resulting to a larger scale development.

The heart of their programs is putting together all the possible resources to deliver the right content, and capacitate the teachers to hand over sufficient and correct knowledge to students.

#PeaceHack2016: A message from the Community Partnerships Head of SMART Communications

Darwin Flores, Community Partnerships Head, Smart Communications, Inc.

“A woman said: ”Everybody thinks that they are the good guys”. Lahat tayo (All of us). Even those we consider as our enemies or our opposites. And that is the origin of conflicts. We all think that we are the good guys.

So, where is the conflict coming from? It’s because we think that we’re right, and we think we’re the good guys.

On my way here, I was thinking “Paano ba natin malalaman na we are thinking we’re the good guys and the other guy is a bad guy?” (How will we know that we're thinking that we’re the good guys and the other guy is a bad guy?) There are pictures, images, or experiences that come forward whenever we see things. We basically grew with filters – a certain point of view.

One of the organizers of this event is my friend. We were activists during Marcos’ time and we really think that Marcos is an evil person. On the other hand, our counterparts think that we are just troublemakers. Whenever we get caught, we are beaten up, and we are tortured. Many of my friends have been tortured, some even got killed. And that is because we are coming from a certain point of view.

On a personal level, that is where I am coming from; but, from a company point of view, as a telecommunications company, communication is an essential element of our life. That’s the constant search that we’re looking for – “How do we unite with our opposites?”.

Uniting with your opposite begins with yourself. Knowing what triggers you, knowing what are your biases. Especially now that there’s a civil war going on - a civil war online. Kung nakakamatay lang ang mga comments, ang dami ng namatay (If only comments can kill, many are already dead). Bumabaha na ng dugo (There will be blood everywhere). That is a very concrete example that you are confronted with. Kung online, ganyan na ang banatan, what more in real life? (If that's how people are online, what more in real life?) So, there is war going on not only online but also within ourselves. So, you need to search yourself because if you give in to that, you are already a participant in a war – in a civil war – and that civil war is within yourself.”

#PeaceHack2016: Peacebuilding through technology

Liam Jamshidi - Tech Officer - London Office

INTERNATIONAL ALERT

International Alert is a peacebuilding organization who works in areas affected by conflicts like Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and the like. “We wanted to try to use technology in peacebuilding and try to make a difference, help people to be aware and take part in making the world a better place,” said Liam Jamshidi, a tech officer from the London office.

The first #peacehack hackathon was held in London in the year 2014. It was an initiative that brought the two worlds of technology and peacebuilding together to try to develop solutions for big problems. Later in 2015, they were able to conduct 5 peacehacks in Barcelona, Beirut, Colombo, London, and Washington DC.  Over 300 hackers took part in the event which was simultaneously done in the 5 regions. The participants were connected through Google hangout. One of the winning ideas is the Safegees – an app that keeps refugees connected. It was developed and is now available in the market.

This year, International Alert was able to conduct 3 hacks so far –in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the first in the Philippines. According to Liam, there are 3 more upcoming peacehacks which will be done in London and Greece.

INTERNATIONAL ALERT PHILIPPINES

Staff members of International Alert Philippines

September 21, 2016 is International Peace Day; but, it is also the 30th anniversary of the founding of International Alert which is an international organization who works in approximately 30 countries where there is often violent conflict. According to Ruel Punongbayan, International Alert Philippines’ Head of Advocacy, “Naroon ang alert kung saan may gulo, may kaguluhan, may hidwaan”.

International Alert has worked in over 60 countries since its founding 30 years ago. There are around 30 country offices at present. From its headquarters in London, International Alert began working in the Philippines in 1988 by doing back-channeling work for the peace process between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Currently, International Alert Philippines is involved in the peace processes in the country. First is the National Democratic Front peace process between the government of the Philippines and the rebels. Further, their country manager, Pancho Lara is the head of the reciprocal working group on ceasefire with the CPP-NPA. They have also been working with the MILF peace process. “Kung mayroong gustong ipaabot ang MILF sa gobyerno or vice versa, iyon ang ginagawa namin.”, Ruel said.

Ruel confidently said that the Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System (BCMS) developed and maintained by International Alert Philippines is the only subnational conflict incidence monitoring system in the Philippines. It contains the conflict panel data in Bangsamoro from 2011-2015. They expanded this to the eastern and southern Mindanao conflict database.

Apart from all these involvements of International alert Philippines, they still have a bigger goal and that is to create a Philippine database.

“We’re trying to influence policy and practice in peacebuilding.”, Ruel said. He expressed his joy in seeing the participants of the first #peacehack in the Philippines especially that many of them are members of the youth.

International Alert’s previous tagline was “Understanding conflict, building peace”. However, they thought that it poses an impression that you need to be knowledgeable to be able to make peace which according to Ruel is not true. To that, he said, “No, we make everyday peace”. This is why they have a new tagline: “Peace is within our power”. Ruel believes that “everyone is involved in peacemaking, peacebuilding”.

“We want to challenge you in this peacehack to come up with concepts and ideas to help the Philippines and make a peaceful Philippines”, Ruel concluded.

#PeaceHack2016: The first #peacehack hackathon in the Philippines

International Alert Philippines and Smart Communications, Inc. invite all developers, programmers, and tech enthusiasts to join the first #peacehack in the Philippines, and step up to the challenge of creating a functional and interactive prototype! Build either a mobile or web application that can help the general public and/or peace builders understand conflict, and win up to P50,000 in prizes!

The theme for this year’s hackathon is P.E.A.C.E.: Perceive, Engage, Alert, Communicate and Educate. These are actions essential in building peace, and this is why International Alert challenges developers to create apps under this theme. Apps may serve any purpose, whether it’s for dissemination, mitigation, or education.

HACKATHON WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The 2-day hackathon is happening on September 24 and 25, 2016, in A Space Manila, 110 Legazpi Street, Makati City, Metro Manila. The fun begins on September 24 (Saturday) at 9:00 AM, and ends on September 25 (Sunday) at 8:00 PM.

Prizes

First prize:         P50,000

Second prize:    P30,000

Third prize:        P20,000

Plus goodies from Smart Communications, Inc.!

HACKATHON RULES AND MECHANICS

Registration and team size

Join as an individual, or form a group of up to three members, and register for free through the Eventbrite page.

Event day mechanics

Participants will have two days to develop an app. They can stay overnight in the venue, and bring their own sleeping bags and extra clothes. Alternately, they can also go home and return the following day at 8:00 AM.

The event will start at 9:00 AM on September 24.

Equipment

All participants should bring their own equipment, including computers, chargers, and tools needed to build their app. It is also highly recommended that they bring their own extension cords, tumblers/water bottles, and pens/papers. A Space will provide power sockets and internet connectivity.

Platform, technology stacks, and API

Outputs can either be mobile or web apps. Participants are also free to use any programming language. If an app will use an API, it should be publicly available for at least a month, or if it is a private API, it should have been developed during the event.

Pre-judging (Only when there are 20+ teams presenting)

Before the selection of the final presenters, the judges will pre-select the top apps. They will go around and test each team’s entry. A strict time limit of five (5) minutes per table will be allotted. The judges will then deliberate and announce the finalists who will present on stage. From there, the winners of the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st prize will be selected.

Stage presentations and app demos

Finalists will demo their app on stage for the judges and other participants to see. It is also important to explain how each app is relevant to the theme. Provide a clear walkthrough of each app. An additional two (2) minutes will be allotted for the Q&A portion with the judges.

Judging criteria

Qualifying criteria: Does it conform to the theme?

40%     Relevance          Applicability to peacebuilding initiatives

40%     Engineering      Code quality, design, user experience, API/frameworks/stack used

20%     Sustainability    Impact and viability

Tiebreaker

A code review will be done in the event of a tie. Judges will audit each team’s source code, with the help of a developer appointed by the judges. The tie will be broken based on the quality of the code.

Intellectual property rights

All teams retain full ownership of their own apps.

FAQs

What’s with the theme?

We thought of this theme because we want the developers to think broadly and creative about the range of functions of their apps. Because understanding violent conflict can be done in so many ways, the theme allows participants to think of the different purposes of the app they will create. (But no disaster / flood warning apps please, since that’s not part of what International Alert does.)

What does International Alert work on?

We’ll talk a little bit more about what we do in the event, but to summarize, we understand conflict, and build peace!

1. We have a conflict monitoring website called Conflict Alert.

2. We also study the connection between the shadow economies (drugs, illicit firearms, kidnap-for-ransom, informal land markets, and cross-border trade) and violent conflict.

3. We also study the different kinds of horizontal conflict (violent conflict between clans, ethnic groups, rival insurgents, political parties and private armed groups, or authorities fighting for control over land, natural resources, elective and non-elective positions, including government resources). We also study common crime as a type of violent conflict.

4. We support the peace talks through galvanizing support within our networks, and we build communities that are resilient to discrimination and extreme ideology.

5. We work with businesses in ensuring that businesses do not incite violence in areas they operate in.

Who can participate?

Anyone creative and knows how to code and develop an app is free to participate.

What will be provided by the organizers during the event?

Internet access, power outlets, and food and drinks will be provided.

What should I bring for the event?

Laptops, chargers, extension cords, tools for app development, sleeping bags, extra clothes, tumblers, and extra broadband dongles.

What should I wear?

Wear comfortable clothing!

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

If you have further questions, please email peacehackph@gmail.com.

When: Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 9:00 AM – Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 9:00 PM (PHT)

Where: A SPACE Philippines – 110 Legazpi Street, Makati, NCR 1229, Philippines

Source: http://peacehack.io/events/peacehackph/

Twitter leverages the resources of Ph agencies through #GoLive

Twitter’s #GoLive agency bootcamp has finally reached the Philippine soil.

The #GoLive bootcamp is part of Twitter Flight School program. Its goal is to help marketing and advertising agencies in their craft by building a deeper understanding of how Twitter works, and teaching how to use it to engage with their market and be a part of live conversation.

#GoLive is an education program across Asia, including India, Indonesia and Singapore, that aims to assist the agencies and their clients through using Twitter’s live connection feature. The bootcamps will bring together almost 8,000 Twitter experts from research, product, and brand strategy that will undergo in intensive training programs. The training includes new modules which focus on developing the skills of marketers in the field of advertising, particularly on upgrading their strategies on content advertising by using Twitter features (Twitter Amplify, Twitter Ads, and TV campaign with Twitter integration).

According to Twitter’s Head of Agency Development, APAC and MENA Simon Brockman, the digital space moves at lightning speed and change is the only constant. Agencies know of Twitter, but not many know how best to leverage our latest tools in a way that adds value for their clients. To help increase the understanding of their platform as the industry evolves, they are working to engage more with marketers around the world so that they and their clients can use Twitter more effectively to reach and engage their target customers.

#GoLive bootcamps will start this week. To know the details of registration, visit their website https://twitterflightschool.com/login.

Democratizing access to better education: Zookal, a free reviewer mobile app now available in the Philippines

A mobile application that digitizes reviewer and learning materials for students is finally available in the Philippines.

Developed by Singapore-based education company Zookal, the app intends to equalize opportunities for Filipino students to pass entrance examinations to universities, and other achievement tests with review materials that can be easily accessed via the mobile phone.

Founded by students in Australia in 2011, Zookal is utilizing mobile technology to help make learning more affordable and accessible to Filipinos, particularly for those without access to resources like review centers, as well as expensive reviewer materials.

The app helps increase the chances of underprivileged members of the society to pass entrance exams by allowing them to review for free just by using their smartphones.

The app, which was launched to the Philippine market recently, already registered over 20,000 downloads in the first two weeks following its release.  At one point, it currently ranks 2nd in the education app rankings in the App Store for iOS devices.  It is also among the most downloaded apps in the Google Play store for devices running on the Android operating system.

“We are very proud to have made an impact in the first two weeks of launch. We have been overwhelmed with positive feedback from our users and we are working very diligently to make improvements to the product. Buying books and going to reviewer centers are not feasible for every single family, so if we can help some families access resources that were previously unavailable to them, then we will strive to do so on as big a scale as possible,” said Jon Tse, Co-Founder, Zookal.

"With the app, we hope to contribute towards attaining the global development goals in education particularly in the Philippines, and increase the chances of Filipinos who cannot afford reviewer services to pass entrance exams and other tests that would help improve their lives for the long term," added Tse.

The app contains a database of over 20,000 practice multiple-choice questions designed for various entrance tests for schools, colleges, and universities like the UPCAT; the National Achievement Test, as well as licensure examinations for professionals, and those wanting to work in government.

To ensure the app has more impact on the user, the developers are working on future updates including explaining to the users why certain answers are correct and others are wrong.  

Zookal is also looking at expanding the content to cover other tests including the NCLEX, IELTS, GMAT, to name a few.

The app simulates the nature of multiple-choice entrance tests, allowing users to swipe through questions and complete quizzes. Upon completing the quizzes, users then earn bonus study tips, which have been compiled by students from the University of the Philippines, as well as teachers from Teach for the Philippines. 

These tips are aimed at instilling effective and healthy study habits to Filipino students so they can improve their study outcomes and enhance their learning experience. 

Examples of practical tips are the following: Take note of the scoring schemes for the tests e.g. UP may deduct for wrong answers; ACET may be time-pressured, so if you do not know the answer skip the item and go back to it if you have extra time; Book a hotel nearby to avoid stress relating to traffic and delays on the day of the exams; Wear comfortable clothes on the day of the exams, among others.

The app also helps make the student psychologically ready for the exams.  Most often, jitters and nerves can also distract the student from answering the test questions correctly. Some testimonials from first users include:

1. ”You can't find an app that can compare to Zookal. Effective, absolutely helpful, and best of all, it's FREE.” - Alexa Doverte

2. “This APP is priceless. Both figuratively and literally. Comprehensive and easy to use!” - Monching Aguinaldo

3. “Zookal App doesn't only help me prepare for a test but also gives useful study tips that find my weak points and gives advice as to where I should improve” - Vana Raye Sabanal

4. “Thumbs up to this super helpful app! Now, I don't have to worry about buying costly reviewers cause it's all here and it's free!” - Faith Fredeluces

5. "This is basically an ALL IN ONE app. Easy to access and you don’t have to download each app, each test. It's all in Zookal app!" - Lia Martinez

The app can be downloaded for free at the Google Play store: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zookal.zookalsg&hl=en)

It is also available in the App Store: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/zookal-philippines-school/id1140369065?mt=8).

For devices not compatible with the iOS and Android operating systems, the app may be directly downloaded at www.zookal.com.ph.

OAAP board of directors holds meeting on 21st of September 2016

Meeting of OAAP board of directors with Atty. Lorna Kapunan as special legal counsel.

Photo credits: Nextmedia

DICT, PSIA, PSITE, and Intel Philippines open its call for entries for the Philippine Startup Challenge 2016

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in partnership with the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), Intel Philippines and Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE) officially opens the call for entries for Philippine Startup Challenge (PSC) 2016 – a student startup competition which aims to inspire college students to create socially relevant technologies that can be viable business ventures. 

In the past two years, the Philippine Startup Challenge inspired academe stakeholders to create technology and Internet-driven software products and solutions to address real-life problems in industries and communities. Bootcamps were conducted throughout the country to equip college faculty mentors on startup methodologies and Internet of Things (IoT) basics. The challenge has now gathered a roster of 400+ eligible mentors who will be building student teams to pitch their innovations. 

On its third run, the competition offers two tracks – challenging the youth to innovate in a broader field covering mobile applications and systems in the software track and now opening opportunities for hardware-driven IoT projects in a dedicated Iot Track supported by Intel Philippines. Interested participants who have disruptive and innovative ideas may form a team of four (3 college student members and 1 eligible faculty mentor) and pitch their startup idea through a five-minute video. 

Twenty teams will be chosen from each track for further mentoring sessions. The IoT track teams will receive Intel Galileo boards which they can use in developing their projects.  A national finals will be held to host the ten best teams from both tracks who will be given an opportunity to pitch in front of the distinguished leaders of the startup community. 

Winners of the Challenge will get a chance to be part of PSIA-Software Product Incubation Group (PSIA-SPRING.Ph) LaunchPad program and be mentored by prominent names in the Philippine startup scene. The winners will also be given access to valuable networks within the country’s startup ecosystem, which could lead them to future partnerships and collaborations. IoT winners will receive valuable mentoring opportunities supported by Intel Philippines. 

Through this challenge, the DICT together with PSIA, PSITE and Intel and its esteemed partners Huawei, Ideaspace, Microsoft and HP Enterprise will continue in its thrust in developing the Philippine Startup Ecosystem and promoting the creation of innovative technologies that are beneficial to the society and the country. 

For more information on the Philippine Startup Challenge: 

Briefer: http://tinyurl.com/2016PSCBriefer

Contact: 

Karla Legaspi

karla.legaspi@dict.gov.ph

9200101 loc 1101

Jackielyn Isip

jackielyn.isip@dict.gov.ph 

About DICT – The Department of Information and Communications Technology is the Philippine Government’s lead agency on ICT related matters. Its primary thrusts are in the ICT Industry Development, eGovernment, ICT policy development, Internet for all and Cybersecurity.

Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo: A Negrense recipe handed from generations

Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo is not your ordinary gourmet tuyo. Chef April shared the story behind the first shredded gourmet tuyo I have tried. She said that her Lola has always been very hands-on. When they were still little, every time they would harvest watermelons in their farm, her Lola would take out the seeds for them so that they can eat at ease. The same thing goes when they eat tuyo. It was originally her Lola’s recipe and it was always present in their family gatherings. Since her mom loves capers and olives, Chef April tried to add the said ingredients to her Lola’s recipe. Eventually, her friends told her “Why not put it in a bottle and sell it?” That gave birth to Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo. She worked on the product’s packaging and treats that as her main contribution for the coming about of Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo. Chef April is confident enough to say that it doesn’t contain any preservatives.

Being both a Lacson and a Gonzaga, Chef April confessed to be a certified foodie. She owns restaurants where she displays her products. She’s very proud to say that all her products are authentic family recipes. Her latest is the Chorizo de Gonzaga which is her Tita’s recipe.

Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo is now on its 3rd year. You can choose between regular and spicy variants. Chef April suggested ways on how customers can enjoy her Gourmet Tuyo. She said that it’s actually good with pasta, salad, and toasted crostini. However, she still thinks that it’s best with rice – the most Pinoy way of eating it.  Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo can also serve as an appetizer. Chef April said that you can spread it on French bread and add kesong puti for it to be like a Pinoy Canapé.

This is Chef April’s 2nd year in The Negros Trade Fair. She’s very proud of her Gourmet Tuyo which has already won 2 awards. It won the Savor Negrense Award at the Panaad sa Negros Festival 2015 where 19 municipalities and 13 cities joined and only one winner was declared and that is Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo. It was also acknowledged as the grand winner for the deli category of the 26th Bulawan Awards of the Association of Negros Producers in August 2016.

Caress and charm in a bar

Susan Flores, owner of Karissma, treats hers as a millionaire’s business. They’re now on their 5th year in the industry; yet, it’s their first time in the Negros Trade Fair.

Although it may sound ironic, the Yolanda incident in Tacloban paved way for Susan’s business. She has an American friend who gave her a call that time, asking her if she was affected by the typhoon. This friend of hers who’s a chemist and dermatologist in the USA wanted to extend her help to Susan. She gave her a formula in creating chemical-free soaps. Susan said that her friend is a chemist who hates chemicals that’s why she exerted effort in researching for fruits and vegetables in the Philippines which are good for the skin. It was only through Skype where they communicated to produce the soap.

Susan also shared the story behind the name of their brand. She said that during her younger days, it was very easy for her to gather people and she was always told by people that she has charisma. That incident gave her husband gave the idea of naming their brand “Karissma”. At the same time, it also means caress and charm.

Karissma soaps are all natural and handmade. Susan herself is the one who processes them in her small laboratory. The physical appearance of their products proves that they are using natural products. They include fruit and vegetable peelings in the soap.

Susan only started with 3 kinds of soap – banana, radish, and cucumber. Within a year, they were able to come up with more such as guava (anti-bacterial), avocado (moisturizing), charcoal (detoxifying), and many more. Their bestseller is the radish soap which has a bleaching effect. Each of their soap (150 grams) costs 180php.

The owner remains very down to earth. She understands that her business won’t flourish at once. “It’s slowly growing”, she said. Susan has been to many places because of Karissma. She’s been getting invites nationwide.

What’s more inspiring about the owner is she shares her success to other Filipinos. She welcomes distributors. They have packages for resellers, especially OFWs. This is her way of helping other people.

From scrap bottles to riches

Have you ever thought of transforming your used wine and medicine bottles to a home décor or kitchenware? I nearly thought it was impossible until I met Precy Perez, owner of Yssa’s Crafts.

When you walk along the booths of the Negros Trade Fair, Precy’s flattened bottles will surely catch your eyes. In an interview with the owner herself, she revealed that all her products are recycled bottles. She buys them from scrap boys who regularly drop by her house in Bacolod. They get used medicine and wine bottles from dumpsites, hotels, restaurants, and junk shops. These materials undergo a cleaning process and are baked at a high temperature in a ceramic oven.

Back in the day, Precy used to do ceramics and exports them. However, in the year 1999, her sales dropped because the buyers opted to go to China to buy ceramics. In effect, she lost 30 workers and had financial difficulties. Despite this challenge in her life, she continued to sell her products with only 2 workers by her side. 

During a show in SM Megamall, a customer showed her a picture of bottle chimes and asked her if she knew how to do it. Funny thing is she said yes even though she really didn’t. However, since she’s a chemical engineer, she already had an idea on how to do the product. Precy gave it a try and it became a hit when she sold the bottle chimes locally.

During the firing, Precy doesn’t always get the desired shape because the temperature is not uniformed. Because of that, a defect gives birth to other products. Her products now include saucepans, serving dishes, home decors, and bottle chimes – her “golden egg”, she said. Recently, she’s been working on medicine bottles as vases/planters which are orders from the USA.

Precy treats her business as her bread and butter. Although she’s at the peak of her career, she never forgets to share her blessings to others especially to the less fortunate. Her purchasing of the recycled bottles from street children and mothers without income is her way of helping them. She even shared that late at night, these people would knock on her door and beg her to buy the bottles because they haven’t eaten yet. She couldn’t take such kind of situation that’s why she’ll always buy from them regardless of the time of the day.

At present, Precy Perez is the head of the gifts, décor & houseware sector of the 31st Negros Trade Fair. She regularly joins fairs, even international ones like the annual Manila Fame. She’s been receiving orders of her products from countries like Belgium and USA.

She treats her craft as a special gift from God. It was through her business that she was able to redeem the properties of her parents which were mortgaged.

On a personal note, Precy said that she’s very happy with what she’s doing. She has redeemed her confidence because of her growing business. Being an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, she said “Kapag may sipag at tiyaga, may biyaya.”

31st Negros Trade Fair showcases unique fashion incorporating this year's theme "Biodiversity in Tourism"

The annual Negros Trade Fair has always been a fashionista’s dream. Why? Simple. There’s always a find for them – something unique, stylish, and just, oh, so beautiful. So come September 14-18, 2016, at the Glorietta Activity Center, fashionistas should come in full force.

Exhibitions like Negros Trade Fair help sustain communities of artisans in developing markets; by cultivating innovative business practices & providing an avenue to promote and sell their locally made products. Exhibitors use resources which are unique in their communities and incorporate their artisan skills to produce products for the global market.

As in previous years’, the 31st Negros Trade Fair will again have a mind-boggling array of fashion and accessories that will satisfy every craving of any fashionista. There will be the clothes, accessories, fashion jewelry and what have you that will add to that special look you want to achieve.

In the press conference of Negros Trade Fair last September 13, the representative of fashion sector, Margaret “Maymay” Villacin, proudly promoted the fashion industry of Negros. Some of the exhibitors  in this sector this year are MCV Designs, Reyes house of Piña, Masaste Art Collection, Tickled Tripper, ChiEvs Stones and Crystals by Maria Sigrid Dugeno-Lo, Kiculo Crafts, Ellege Fashion, Casa Mercedes and the business owned by Ms. Villacin, Maitasun Lan.
But some of the fashion and accessories available at the 31st Negros Trade Fair will have a new twist. In line with this year’s theme of Biodiversity in Tourism, some of the producers’ creativity was challenged and they faced up to it by creating items that incorporate the diverse natural beauty that nature has blessed this particular island paradise.

 Some of these accessories are necklaces made of clay and bamboo clutch. Most of the jewelries and accessories are handcrafted in the local municipalities of Negros. Imagine fashion items inspired by the species’ endemic only to Negros? Unique, huh? You’ll never find that shopping in any of the other places around the metro! That’s for sure!

The fashion and accessory finds at the Negros Trade Fair isn’t just for fashionistas though. There’s a find for anyone and everyone…from babies to those with grand babies, there’s the piece that’s just perfect for you. What’s best is that their all beautifully created and designed, as well as crafted to the highest quality standards.

So if it’s unique fashion and accessories you’re looking for, the 31st Negros Trade Fair is the place for you. You can visit the trade event until Sunday. Hurry up!

Source: Association of Negros Producers

MCV Designs

 Tickled Tripper

 Reyes House of Piña

Casa Mercedes

ChiEvs Stones and Crystals by Maria Sigrid Dugeno-Lo

 Ellege Fashion

 Kiculo Crafts: The Pandan Bag Ladies

 Masaste Art Collection