7 Reasons to Discover the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair

Meet the women entrepreneurs taking center stage through WomenBizPH and SM for MSMEs

Behind every booth is a woman, a story, and a Filipino brand waiting to be discovered. Women entrepreneurs proudly showcase their creations at the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair at SM Megamall, where WomenBizPH and SM Supermalls, through SM for MSMEs, create opportunities for homegrown businesses to gain visibility, connect with more customers, and take their next step toward growth.

The next great Filipino brand might be closer than you'd think. Behind every handcrafted accessory, woven textile, artisanal delicacy, and sustainable fashion piece on display is a woman who turned an idea into a business — some preserving generations of craftsmanship, others building livelihoods for their communities, a few already moving from trade fair booths into wider retail.

Those stories came together at the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair 2026, which opened at SM Megamall on August 10 for three days of business, learning, and connection among entrepreneurs, government leaders, industry partners, and shoppers.

Organized by WomenBizPH in partnership with SM Supermalls through SM for MSMEs, the fair is about more than what's for sale — it's built to put the women behind these brands in the spotlight and open doors for more Filipino businesses to be seen and supported.

Here are seven reasons this year's fair is worth more than a passing visit.

1. Every Booth Has a Story Worth Hearing

Walk the floor and you'll find more than beautiful products — master weavers keeping generations of craftsmanship alive, entrepreneurs turning family recipes into businesses, and women shaping local materials into products that can hold their own in a much bigger market.

For Ma. Cecilia Mina of Tinguian Ethnic Art Handloom Woven Products from Apayao, trade fairs have changed how she reaches customers entirely.

"Dati, naglalako lang kami para makabenta. Napakalaking ginhawa na nakakasali kami sa mga ganitong trade fair. Pang-limang taon na po namin dito."

It's an easy detail to miss while shopping: the woman behind a booth may have once traveled from place to place looking for buyers — and now has a marketplace where buyers come find her instead.

As Rosemarie Bosch Ong, President of WomenBizPH, put it during the opening, the Women Strong Network is about building not just businesses but a community — one where women learn, grow, and inspire each other, with platforms like SM helping their stories reach further.

2. You Might Find Your Next Favorite Filipino Brand

Handcrafted fashion, woven home décor, artisanal food, wellness products, accessories, and sustainable lifestyle goods — the fair brings together a genuinely wide mix of women-led Filipino enterprises. But the best finds usually start with a conversation.

Here, shoppers can talk directly to the people who made what they're looking at — how it's made, what inspired it, the work behind something you might otherwise just grab off a shelf. Every purchase supports a local entrepreneur; every new customer stretches a brand's reach a little further.

Filipino creativity, craftsmanship, and culture in every creation. From contemporary Filipiniana and handwoven bags to intricate artworks and locally crafted jewelry, women-led MSMEs bring tradition to life through products that celebrate Filipino heritage while reimagining it for today's market at the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair.

3. The Best Entrepreneurs Keep Learning

A great product alone doesn't build a business. The opening program leaned into that, with government agencies, private-sector organizations, and industry leaders reaffirming their support for helping women entrepreneurs grow more competitive through market access, capability-building, and collaboration.

Women MSMEs connect directly with shoppers and guests at the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair, creating meaningful moments to share their products, tell the stories behind their brands, and build relationships that can open doors to new customers and future growth.

Department of Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza Bautista spoke to the role women entrepreneurs play in driving economic growth, and the value of collaboration among government, the private sector, WomenBizPH, and SM for MSMEs in providing knowledge, support, and market access. Day 2 continued with business talks, mentoring, and sessions on innovation to help entrepreneurs prepare for their next stage of growth.

4. The Biggest Opportunity Sometimes Starts With a Conversation

Not every win happens at the checkout counter. Throughout the fair, entrepreneurs talk directly with shoppers, fellow founders, mentors, and potential partners — and a conversation can turn into a customer, an introduction into a collaboration, a booth appearance into a bigger market. For MSMEs, growth isn't only about selling more; it's about finding the right people and the right doors.

Creating connections that help businesses grow. Guests and partners engage with women entrepreneurs at the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair, opening opportunities for greater visibility, new customers, and meaningful connections.

5. Every Product Carries a Community Behind It

For many women entrepreneurs, the business is bigger than themselves. Sitti Go Se of Mindanao Pearl International, a third-generation business owner, works with people from her own community in Sulu who harvest the pearls and craft the jewelry the company sells.

"Ang mga empleyado po sa amin ay mismong mga kababayan namin sa Sulu. Sila po ang umaani ng pearls at gumagawa ng jewelry. Proud Filipino po tayo — ang designs namin ay sariling atin. These events help promote our products and culture, and we get a lot of inquiries and sales through them."

Her story shows the ripple effect of supporting a Filipino MSME: one purchase can help sustain a business, create a livelihood, preserve a craft, and carry a community's culture to a wider audience.

6. Success Here Gets Celebrated, Not Just Sold

The fair also makes room to recognize women pushing their businesses forward — with entrepreneur learning sessions, networking, exhibitor testimonials, the Amazing Weaves Distinction Awards, and the Capstone Awards honoring creativity, craftsmanship, innovation, sales performance, and booth presentation. Recognition here isn't just about the trophy — seeing one woman's journey celebrated can be exactly the nudge another entrepreneur needs to take her own first step.

Proudly Filipino fashion takes center stage. House of Musa showcases its distinctive take on contemporary Filipino design at the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair, bringing local craftsmanship and cultural influences to life through bold, modern pieces that celebrate Filipino creativity and identity.

7. A Trade Fair Can Be Just the Beginning

For SM Supermalls, a trade fair isn't just a place to sell — through SM for MSMEs, it's a pathway to growth, giving entrepreneurs a shot at being discovered and reaching customers well beyond the booth.

For Gloria Pantaleon, owner of Gloria's Delicacies, that door has already opened.

"We started by joining trade fairs, and today some of our popular products are already being distributed through SM Hypermarket. Our dream is to reach even more customers through other SM retail channels. That's what opportunities like these can do — give a small local business like ours a pathway to become something bigger."

Corrs Valenton, CEO of Corrsy's Kitchen, tells a similar story.

"I started with just a small booth at SM in 2022. Today, we have grown into kiosks at SM City Fairview and SM City Bicutan. SM gave us the opportunity to be discovered, reach more customers, and turn a small beginning into a growing business."

Their journeys echo what Royston Cabunag, Assistant Vice President and Head of SM Communities at SM Supermalls, said during the opening:

"At SM Supermalls, we believe our role goes beyond providing places where people shop. Through SM for MSMEs, we create platforms where entrepreneurs can be discovered, local brands can flourish, and communities can thrive. Behind every great Filipino brand is an entrepreneur whose story deserves to be seen, supported, and celebrated."

Because the leap from market stall to mainstream can start with one chance to be discovered — and the right platform to grow from there.

Discover the Women Behind Today's Inspiring Filipino Brands

Whether you're after handcrafted gifts, sustainable fashion, homegrown delicacies, or simply a story that sticks with you, the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair is more than a shopping trip — it's a chance to meet the makers and support the women building businesses that strengthen families, preserve communities, and open up new possibilities.

Discover proudly Filipino flavors. From artisanal chocolates and local delicacies to bottled specialties and innovative food products, women-led MSMEs showcase the creativity and diversity of Filipino entrepreneurship at the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair — giving shoppers more homegrown brands to discover, taste, and support.

Visit the Fair

●        SM Megamall | August 10–12

●        SM City Cebu | August 14–16

Because behind every booth is more than a business. It's a woman with a dream — and perhaps, the next great Filipino brand waiting to be discovered.