Butlak Marks 40 Years of Celebrating Negros’ Makers, Culture, and Craft

The six-day fair brings together 178 brands to Metro Manila, offering a closer look at the people and traditions behind the region’s creative work.

The first light that touches the pink skies stretching over Negros’ central mountain ranges and volcanoes—in Negrense terms, they call it “Butlak.” This is the vision that the Association of Negros Producers imagined while building this year’s Negros Trade Fair concept. For four decades, the celebration has served as the longest-running trade fair in Metro Manila, showcasing the culture of the Negros Island Region. So, after all these years, what makes this year different from the rest?

One afternoon at SM Aura, the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), together with SM Supermalls, officially launched Butlak: The 40th Negros Trade Fair with a preview that brought together Negros delicacies, fashion, craftsmanship, and stories. This offers a glimpse of the upcoming six-day fair, which will run from September 22 to 27, 2026, bringing 178 brands from the region to the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura.

Throughout the trade fair’s history, its vision and mission have remained consistent: presenting Negros’ culture and artisans to Metro Manila. But what makes this edition a bit different, or in the team’s words, “special,” is that the region is no longer just being presented as a destination of beautiful products, but as a community of makers, artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and storytellers with a distinct point of view.

“There is a stronger emphasis on the stories behind what we create—the heritage, skills, traditions, and personal journeys that give our products meaning. Butlak is an invitation to discover these stories and to experience the creativity of Negros in a more intimate and meaningful way,” says Mary Ann Colmenares, vice president of the Association of Negros Producers.

This journey, of course, wouldn’t be complete without Negrense personalities who have been leading their respective crafts. Offering regional favorites and heirloom recipes that are open to fresh interpretations are well-known culinary personalities and food entrepreneurs such as chef JJ Yulo, restaurateur Joel Torre, and chef JP Anglo.

This spirit continues across different crafts, particularly in fashion, where different generations of brands have collaborated for the fair. One of the brands present is Lakat Sustainables, a Filipino eco-footwear brand that crafts sustainable sneakers using handwoven pineapple leaf fibers and local natural materials. It is also joined by Arête, which creates handcrafted island-style accessories using indigenous Philippine materials, and Ellege Handcrafted Fashion, which incorporates Negros Occidental’s hand-smocking tradition into contemporary clothing.

Over the years, however, it has also witnessed how changes in the business landscape are inevitable. Colmenares states that now more than ever, Filipino consumers are becoming more discerning. “They look beyond quality and design and increasingly value authenticity, provenance, and the story behind a product,” she says. “There is a growing appreciation for regional products because people recognize that buying local also supports communities and keeps traditions alive.”

And in the bigger picture, the team behind the fair couldn’t be more hopeful that Butlak would serve as a bridge between Negros and the rest of the Philippines, a bridge that connects makers, designers, artists, and even consumers. After all, more than the products, “we want to share the stories and creative spirit of Negros and strengthen our place in the larger Filipino narrative,” Colmenares says.