Homegrown entrepreneurs in Navotas have long envisioned their city being recognized for more than its fish ports — and a new music festival at the city's commercial hub is set to bring that vision to life.

Under the banner of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), prominent artists including Cup of Joe, Maki, Mayonnaise, and KAIA will bring a live concert experience to the city. The festival taps into a broader resurgence of OPM, which has seen Filipino artists — from indie acts to P-pop groups — gain growing mainstream traction on streaming platforms and in the live-events circuit in recent years.

"For many years, Navotas has been known as the fishing capital of the Philippines and the cold storage hub of Metro Manila. While we are proud of that identity, we also believe that our city has so much more to offer," said Paul Santos, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Navotas Chapter, during a press conference announcing the first Navotas Music Festival.

The festival is scheduled for September 26 at the Navotas Convention Center, which was completed early last year. The brainchild of the PCCI Navotas Chapter, the event aims to celebrate music, culture, and community, with homegrown front acts performing ahead of the headline OPM guests and local micro and small businesses operating the food stalls.

"Through the Navotas Music Festival, we hope to showcase another side of our city, one that embraces culture, tourism, business, and meaningful community engagement," Mr. Santos said. "We envision a festival that generates opportunities."

This will mark the first music festival of its kind in Navotas, a coastal city in the CAMANAVA sub-region of Metro Manila — an area more commonly associated with industrial and fishing activity than large-scale cultural events. The convention center itself has hosted only one other major event — the Navotas Business Conference in October of last year. The venue has a seating capacity of 4,000.

Mayonnaise Joins the Lineup

When PCCI Navotas organizers approached the rock band Mayonnaise to participate as one of the OPM guests, the response was an enthusiastic yes.

"As a band over the last two decades, basta maimbitahan kami sa kahit anong siyudad (as long as we are invited to any city), it's always a privilege and an honor for us to be able to perform," said Monty Macalino, frontman of Mayonnaise, at the press conference.

"Considering this is the first one in Navotas, siguro ang nakita ng mga organizers is mag-e-enjoy 'yong tao because of our songs (I guess the organizers saw that people would enjoy because of our songs)," he added.

Mr. Santos indicated that a strong turnout could pave the way for a second edition. "To make this a yearly thing, this will be a proof of concept that we can do it," he said. "And that Navotas is accessible."

Navotas as an Emerging Hub

Mr. Santos noted that the New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan — a major infrastructure development spearheaded by San Miguel Corporation in nearby Bulakan — is expected to position Navotas as a logistics and trading hub central to economic activity in Metro Manila, given that the city will have a highway connecting directly to the airport. There are also ongoing initiatives to redesign the city's seafood markets along the lines of Japan's famed markets, such as Tokyo's Tsukiji Market, to boost tourism.

"There are a lot of buildings, a lot of storage hubs, and roads so it's not hard to get here," Mr. Santos said. "That's why we are proud to say that, in Navotas, we have this convention center where we can stimulate community activities."

As for the festival lineup — which features OPM band Cup of Joe, singer-songwriter Maki, P-pop girl group KAIA, and local Navoteño artists — Mayonnaise is proud to represent the rock element within the diverse bill.

"Sa mga ganitong festivals, malakas yung dating ng may rock pa rin (In festivals like this, there's a strong impact when you still have some rock). That's the brand that we're trying to promote," Mr. Macalino said. "We want people to see that it's fun to play the guitar, that it's nice to see a full band live onstage."

Supporting Local Enterprises

Mr. Santos emphasized that the Navotas Music Festival is designed to benefit local micro enterprises, which will operate merchant booths, food hubs, and lifestyle stalls on the floor below the concert area. Micro and small enterprises make up the overwhelming majority of registered businesses in the Philippines, and initiatives that connect them to larger-scale events are a growing strategy for local economic development outside Metro Manila's traditional commercial centers.

"Part of the proceeds will go to those businesses and entrepreneurs," he said of the ticket revenues. "We'll help them with training, workshops, and opportunities to grow and open up their markets."

Tickets for the Navotas Music Festival, priced from P2,000 to P8,000, are available via Ticketmelon. Further details, including announcements on ticket bundles, can be found on the festival's Facebook page.

— Brontë H. Lacsamana