For designers and manufacturers, Ambiente serves as the ultimate springboard to connect with the world.
The province of Tarlac led the Philippine delegation at last month’s Ambiente, one of the world’s biggest and oldest consumer goods fairs. Held annually in Frankfurt, Germany, Ambiente is the platform where buyers meet sellers, where sellers become sought-after producers, and where designers become global names in consumer goods.
What’s interesting is that their products are all meticulously handcrafted—a contrast to their generation’s digital-first mindset. Instead of automation, they embrace artisanal techniques, proving that craftsmanship remains at the heart of Filipino design.
Ambiente has always harnessed young talent and provided them with opportunities to shine and network and gain industry recognition. For most Filipino manufacturing companies, the present crop of young designers grew into their parents or grandparents’ businesses—and 2025 was a great time for them to step out into the world at Ambiente.
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An evolving consumer goods fair
I’ve covered Ambiente multiple times before the pandemic, and it’s remarkable how consumer goods have evolved in the past 15 years. In the early 2000s, sustainability was an option for manufacturers—today, it’s an expectation and a driving force. Marketing has also shifted from websites to social media, and global aesthetics continue to evolve. Yet one thing remains constant: Ambiente is always at the forefront, shaping and reflecting what people want in their homes.
It’s never the same even as I get reacquainted with familiar faces and companies. There’s always something new, someone new and each year, produces breakout stars—whether it’s a product, a designer or a new perspective.
Messe Frankfurt, the organizer of the fair, was quick to pivot during the pandemic. While the physical show was canceled in 2021 due to Covid-19, Messe Frankfurt adapted by going digital before resuming the physical show. “Digital Days,” an online format to keep exhibitors and buyers connected, was held in 2022 and the physical fair returned in 2023, marking its comeback as a physical event.
Through it all, Ambiente never lost sight of its mission to bring the consumer goods world together even after the pandemic slowed everything down. Back in the huge halls of Messe Frankfurt, which this year saw Ambiente 2025, held from February 7 to 11, welcomed approximately 148,000 visitors from over 170 countries. The event featured 4,660 exhibitors from 38 nations, showcasing the latest trends and innovations in consumer goods.
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Tarlac’s future in export
For over two decades, Messe Frankfurt Philippine representative Wilbert Novero has been instrumental in showcasing the finest Filipino craftsmanship at Ambiente. He has connected hundreds of local manufacturers— from small enterprises to industry giants— to the global stage, helping them reach international markets and elevate their brands.
For this year’s edition of Ambiente, Tarlac is the centerpiece of the Filipino delegation. It’s their fourth time participating as a collective, but this year is a special one because they have gotten bigger with old and new companies participating.
Wilbert said the province shows so much promise because the “manufacturing sector has the support of Tarlac Governor Susan Yap-Sulit and the entire province. What better way to test your products than in a market that everyone goes to? In Ambiente, you have American and European buyers. You may be targeting the US market, but then the Europeans see your products and suddenly a whole new market opens up to you. The exposure they get is priceless.”
He continues, “What’s great about Tarlac is that it has programs that encourage young designers to further their skills and teach them new ones.”
Messe Frankfurt’s Juergen Werz added, “The Philippine delegation is always beautiful with their products from the different islands. And we want more of the Philippines in Ambiente for the world to see—it’s one of the world’s best hubs for design and consumer goods.”
The Tarlac booth at Messe Frankfurt’s Hall 10 was represented not only by manufacturers, but representatives from the province’s trade and industry, and science and technology departments who help formulate policy and technology-related projects.
We spoke with representatives from Tarlac’s DTI and DOST, who highlighted the crucial role of training programs in adopting efficient and sustainable manufacturing. They also shared how the province supports local businesses by providing soft loans, which they repay in three years without interest, enabling companies to upgrade their production facilities and meet the volume demands of exporters.
DTI Regional Director Edna Dizon said, “The collective only works when it’s driven by a clear vision. For us, our governor really wanted to push MSMEs—many of them coming from farming backgrounds—even if they’re not yet compliant with the Export Marketing Bureau standards—just to be able to see what’s going on or how far they could go.”
Wilbert pointed out that companies need to be ready to produce in scale, which makes government support crucial from the beginning. “You never know the kind of orders you get at Ambiente—it could be a volume that you have been producing for many years or it could be triple that.”
Gen Z takes over
Three young women from Tarlac, representing their respective companies, embody the evolution of the Philippine export industry. Two of them are second-generation manufacturers, having grown up in their parents’ factories and now continuing the legacy. The third took a different path—she started her business during the pandemic with just P500 borrowed from her parents to buy materials, turning a small idea into a thriving venture.
What’s also interesting for me as a design enthusiast is that their products are meticulously handcrafted—a contrast to their generation’s digital-first mindset. Instead of automation, they embrace artisanal techniques, proving that craftsmanship remains at the heart of Filipino design.
It’s deliciously ironic that the future of consumer goods rests in the hands of young entrepreneurs like these young women—who could easily turn to AI and automation yet choose to honor tradition by preserving the human touch in their products. Their stories reflect the changing landscape of Filipino entrepreneurship, where tradition and innovation go hand in hand.
Hazel Joshua Pangilinan of Richver Wood Crafts and Joanna Marie Beltran of JMB Apparel Shop are now running their parents’ companies—or at least taking on executive roles and representing them in trade fairs—while Annika Pascual of AHC began doing plant hangers at the height of the plantita/plantito boom during the pandemic.
“Since there was no school, I had no allowance. I had the idea to make a plant hanger for my mom,” Annika said, who was in her fifth year of architecture when she started. She borrowed P500 from her mom Amy and bought materials for macramé, an old art form that involves tying knots into decorative patterns with one’s bare hands.
“I made it without any idea of what I was doing—I just tied knots until it was done,” Annika said. Then she posted a picture of it online and her friends began asking where she bought it.
Hazel Joshua Pangilinan, a second-generation manufacturer, knows everything about wood and how to turn it into beautiful houseware. Having grown up around her family’s business, Richver Wood Crafts, she’s now at an age where she is taking a more active role as project coordinator.
Being young and in this business, she said, they are more exposed to social media and get inspiration and ideas from everywhere. They’re not “stuck” with what they know but are more flexible with design and business plans.
Buyers at the Tarlac booth of Messe Frankfurt.
Joanna Marie Beltran of JMB Apparel Shop also grew up seeing her parents’ company grow bigger since it was founded in 1998. “We’re a direct manufacturer, we make for companies under their labels. Eventually, maybe I can have my own label,” she said.
Joanna has loved fashion since she was young, but she pointed out that the kind of designs they produced when her mom was at the helm of JMB Apparel are very different from today.
“I started joining my mom in trade fairs when I was young, but I didn’t appreciate it very much,” she said. Last year, mother and daughter joined Manila FAME; for Ambiente she was on her own.
So what role does AI play in their designs? “We don’t rely on AI. It’s much better that our company handles the design, especially since we talk directly to our clients about their demands.”
Sometimes, the next big story begins with a small creation—until a global stage transforms it into something far greater.
