Bulacan food, product fair a success despite ‘Enteng’ rains

This year’s Buffex also highlighted some of the newest food products from the different towns and cities in Bulacan.

CITY OF MALOLOS, BULACAN, Philippines — Rains brought by Tropical Storm Enteng (international name: Yagi) did not stop food enthusiasts and other visitors from coming to the 12th Bulacan Food Fair and Exposition (Buffex), which preluded the weeklong “Sining Pangkalinangan ng Bulacan” (Singkaban) festivity in the province.

Corina Tengco-Bautista, president of the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), said 96 business locators, including municipal and city governments from the province, participated in the five-day trade fair held at the Pavilion of the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center here from Sept. 2, the same saying that Enteng was dumping heavy rains in Luzon and parts of the Visayas, until Sept. 6, when the tropical storm had already left the country.

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Nearly a hundred stalls that showcased the variety of Bulacan’s famous sweets like pastillas de leche from San Miguel town, minasa and barquillos biscuits and cookies from Bustos, and many other “pasalubong” (gift) treats, were visited by residents and local tourists.

“Many still come and patronize our own products, it is indeed another successful year of Buffex,” she told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Sunday.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Central Luzon (Region 3) governor Cristina Tuzon said the annual Buffex showcases both the traditional and new food products and delicacies of Bulacan, including cultural and handicraft items, and novelties of the province’s micro, small and medium entrepreneurs.

Edna Dizon, Department of Trade and Industry Region 3 director, said this year’s Buffex also highlighted some of the newest food products from the different towns and cities in Bulacan, like cold drinks such as milk tea, fruit drinks, dairy products, as well as nuts, donuts and other bread delicacies among others.

Mother of festivals

Gov. Daniel Fernando, who along with Vice Gov. Alexis Castro were guests at the opening of Buffex on Sept. 2, said the annual trade fair is part of the Singkaban that gathers all other festivals in the 20 towns and four cities of the province.

Dubbed as the “mother of all festivals” in Bulacan, Singkaban will run from Sept. 9-15.

Fernando said other than the usual agriculture, transport sector, youth, women sector, tourism, cultural, music, arts, poetry, food, beauty pageants, and costume design, this year’s Singkaban will also feature and highlight all local fiesta bands or mosiko.

“We Bulakenyos are also rich with these cultural bands, mosiko, which [have] rhythms [that] give us more of the feel of excitement and joy of the festivities during fiestas and major events. That’s why we have to keep them playing loud and alive. We have around 80 of them and we have to include them in our annual Singkaban,” he said.

“Let’s go bigger, let’s go better in our Buffex, in our Singkaban,” the governor added.

He said that exposing Bulakenyo youth to trade fairs should also be taught to them so that they will learn how to engage in the enterprise.

The provincial government has increased its current 16,000 scholars to 18,000 to help more of the local youth to acquire formal education, he added.