The 2024 OTOP (One Town, One Product) Philippines Food Fair ongoing in Makati until October 8

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The OTOP Philippines Food Fair is ongoing right now at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati from October 4 to October 8, 2024.

The 2024 OTOP (One Town, One Product) Philippines Food Fair is currently taking place at the Glorietta and Palm Drive Activity Centers in Makati from October 4 to October 8, 2024. This vibrant event, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), showcases the culinary excellence of more than a hundred Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It is a celebration of Filipino flavors, reflecting the rich culinary heritage of the Philippines through a multi-sensory experience.

Visitors to the food fair can enjoy colorful presentations of Filipino dishes, hear the inspiring stories behind the products, and of course, taste authentic flavors ranging from sweet delicacies to savory treats. The event also aims to connect MSMEs with institutional buyers, offering them opportunities to expand their reach into mainstream markets. The fair highlights top-tier food items with competitive packaging to attract both consumers and business buyers, setting a new standard for food fairs in the country.

The OTOP Food Fair continues the momentum of the successful 2024 DTI Bagong Pilipinas National Food Fair, which generated over Php 61 million in sales, emphasizing the growing global interest in Filipino cuisine. This event is open to the public with free admission, and those who cannot attend in person can watch the livestream on the National Food Fair’s social media platforms.

For food lovers and entrepreneurs, this fair is an excellent opportunity to explore the diverse flavors of the Philippines while supporting local businesses​.

The 2024 OTOP Philippines Food Fair at Glorietta is more than just a showcase of Filipino flavors—it is a platform for innovation and creativity. Organized by the DTI’s Bureau of Market Development, Promotions, and OTOP (BMDPO), the event not only highlights the best of Filipino cuisine but also promotes entrepreneurial growth. By bringing together MSMEs from different regions of the country, the fair fosters collaboration and networking, encouraging local food entrepreneurs to bring their products to a wider market​.

Visitors can expect a festival-like atmosphere with colorful displays, and live cooking demonstrations, offering a true feast for the senses. The food fair features a diverse range of products, from artisanal snacks and local delicacies to region-specific specialties like Vigan longganisa and Bicol’s famous laing​.

This year, the event is also part of a larger national movement to elevate Filipino cuisine on the global stage. With its focus on quality packaging and competitive marketing, the OTOP fair serves as a stepping stone for MSMEs aiming to enter international markets, reflecting the growing interest in Filipino food worldwide.

For anyone passionate about Filipino culture, food, or entrepreneurship, this event is a must-see. Whether you're there to sample the rich diversity of flavors or to discover the stories behind each product, the OTOP Philippines Food Fair is an immersive cultural experience​.

As the OTOP Philippines Food Fair continues to unfold at Glorietta, it’s clear that the event is not just a celebration of Filipino culinary heritage, but also a powerful driver of economic development for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The fair serves as a hub for connecting these businesses with institutional buyers and consumers, helping them gain exposure in both local and international markets​.

The event highlights Filipino ingenuity by featuring products that have been carefully developed to meet global standards. From modern takes on traditional dishes to innovative new products, the fair offers a range of culinary delights that represent the rich diversity of the Philippines' regional cuisines. Attendees are treated to a sensory overload—seeing, tasting, and experiencing the best of what Filipino food has to offer​.

The OTOP program is designed to promote local products, unique to specific towns and regions, by offering MSMEs a platform to showcase their goods. It reflects the country's broader effort to sustain its cultural identity while advancing economic empowerment, particularly in the food sector. For local entrepreneurs, this fair is not only a celebration but a chance to grow their businesses by enhancing product packaging, improving food safety standards, and expanding their market reach​.

With such a wide array of food offerings and cultural experiences, the OTOP Food Fair remains a crucial event for anyone passionate about Filipino cuisine and business. It underscores the ongoing support from government bodies like the DTI and private sectors in pushing Filipino products onto the global stage, ultimately contributing to the promotion of the country as a culinary destination.

Close of Investment in PHINMA Education by KKR

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Investment will Support Filipino Higher Education Group's Efforts to Scaling Operations

PHINMA Education Holdings, Inc. (‘PHINMA Education’ or the ‘Company’), a leading private higher education group and the education arm of Filipino conglomerate PHINMA Corporation, today announced the completion of the initial investment of leading global investment firm KKR. The transaction, first announced in May 2024, has closed following the completion of the customary regulatory approvals.

“We have already started working together in several areas,” shared Dr. Chito B. Salazar, President and CEO of PHINMA Education. “We are leveraging KKR’s global experience and networks to help us improve our completion rates, refine growth strategies, and reach more underserved students.”

Happy A. Tan, Phinma Education Country Chief-Philippines, added, “In the months since we began this process, KKR has shared their resources and expertise with us to make headway on what matters most – making lives better through education.” Areas of collaboration include efforts for digital transformation and ESG.

Why Is the Environment Not a Top Priority in the Philippines? The Alarming Consequences of Ignoring Nature's Warnings!

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

How come the Environment is not included among the choices of most important issues in the Philippines? Are we all going to let it be relegated only as among the Others? 

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Located along the Pacific ring of fire, the Philippines is highly susceptible to seismic and volcanic risks. The country is also subject to the world record of typhoons every year. Climate change and pandemics are exacerbating those risks. A greener environment will solve the other issues like Health and Disaster Preparedness. Protecting the environment will obviously lead to better Health conditions for the population. Our healthcare system is in dire need of resuscitation. In accordance with the World Health Organization's guidelines, the air quality in the Philippines is considered moderately unsafe. A greener environment will ultimately solve the most important environmental issues facing the world today including pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, depletion of natural resources, overpopulation, waste disposal, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. 

Makati, Pasig, and Quezon City were identified as the top 3 cities with the most air pollution in NCR, and the Philippines is the third-ranking contributor to plastic pollution in the world, with at least 2.7 million metric tons of plastic waste generated every year. Water and air pollution levels exceed generally accepted health standards; and greenhouse gas emissions are increasing from rapid urbanization. Coal plant emissions are estimated to cause up to 2,400 deaths per year in the Philippines due to various diseases. 

A better environment will give us clean air, water, food, materials and space for recreation. Having plenty of these resources equates more to better health for all of us. Spending time in nature is also great for our mental health. And if we do not take care of the planet, its climate and ecosystems, we undermine how our societies function, worsen our lives and, perhaps most directly, harm our own well-being, thus making us unhealthy or more prone to illness. 

Our forests, rivers, oceans and soils provide us with the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we irrigate our crops with. We also rely on them for numerous other goods and services we depend on for our health, happiness and prosperity. The natural environment gives us a wealth of services that are difficult to measure. Natural areas help clean our air, purify our water, produce food and medicines, reduce chemical and noise pollution, slow floodwaters, and cool our streets. We call this work 'ecosystem services'. Forests, wetlands, and other ecosystems act as buffers against extreme weather, protecting houses, crops, water supplies and vital infrastructure. 

Why must we contend with the destabilizing effects of natural disasters? To mitigate disasters and have less need for Disaster Preparedness, a better environment enveloping us will definitely reduce, if not totally diminish, flooding, climate crisis, and other related natural anomalies. 

The Philippines is most at risk of geophysical hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, as well as climatological hazards such as typhoons and drought. We should be increasingly alarmed by the issue of deforestation. It is one of the major environmental problems we are facing today. Aside from deforestation, also among the excessive climate risk and environmental issues looming over the Philippines are plastic pollution, the sea level rise, and the damage to coastal areas and marine life and the rising temperatures threatening the health, livelihoods and quality of life of Filipinos. Poverty leads to deforestation through inappropriate use of wood and other resources for cooking, heating, housing and crafts, thus depriving vulnerable groups from essential goods and accelerating both the downwards spiral of poverty and environmental degradation. Pollution, caused by human activity such as industrialization and urbanization, would continue to damage the environment and human health. Air and water pollution would lead to respiratory and heart disease, and toxic chemicals would contaminate soil and water, making them unfit for human consumption. 

With the industrialization of society and the increase in global trade, there has been a lot more pollution and waste produced. Since the Industrial Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels and other activities have increased the number of greenhouse gas emissions in Earth's atmosphere, leading to an increase in global warming. The resulting climate change has accelerated disruption of the environment and vital natural processes. Although climate change can also occur from natural causes, human behavior has led to an increase in greenhouse emissions. 

We are all still exposed and witness to increasing smoke pollution from cars and manufacturing industries, improper waste disposal from slums and companies clogging drainages, canals and rivers, illegal mining polluting the surroundings lands and rivers, illegal logging causing deforestation and severe flooding. Increased emissions of greenhouse gases have led to a rapid and steady increase in global temperatures, which in turn is causing catastrophic events all over the world. The Philippines suffers major human-caused environmental degradation aggravated by a high annual population growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands,deforestation,soil erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse of coastal resources and overfishing. 

The present state of the Philippine environment is a continuation of decades of downtrend. Unsustainable practices and indiscriminate natural resource extraction caused the massive degradation of our environment from the upland up to the coastal and marine ecosystems. 

Protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility. The environment includes the elements of sunlight, water, air, and soil, all of which are essential for human survival. It ensures the continuation of life by maintaining genetic variation and biodiversity. Protecting the environment plays a vital role in keeping living things healthy. We should maintain the ecological balance that will keep check of life on earth to continue providing enough food, shelter, air, and fulfill all the basic human needs whether big or small. We should prioritize environmental health, protecting the ecosystem vitality, and mitigating climate change. 

We know our planet cannot continue on its current trajectory and everyone has a responsibility to minimize their environmental impact; and in the case of organisations, work towards net zero. 

So why is the environment not a priority issue? A study found that favorable economic contexts, such as a relatively high income level and low inflation, foster environmental concern. This is likely related to the idea of a "finite pool of worry" in which more immediate issues like economic security crowd out less immediate issues like climate policy. Sadly, if we continue this thinking, sustainability in the Philippines has a long way to go. 

What does the Philippine Constitution say about environmental protection? From the constitution "The State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature." It shall be the policy of the State to regulate the prospecting of biological and genetic resources so that these resources are protected and conserved. How do we get more people to care about the natural world so they're moved to stand up and defend it? The answer is complex, of course, because humans are complex. But part of it can be found in a simple truth: Some people don't care much about the natural world because they haven't experienced nature directly.