Charity bazaar opens at Okada Manila

Noel Bazaar, one of the country's longest-running holiday shopping destinations, recently opened the first of its 48-day three-part series at Okada Manila to offer a wide array of shopping options.

Supported by GMA Network, the "Christmas Bazaar with the Heart" features a host of special events, such as the Okada Home of Wonder with the Christmas Village, Kapuso Tuesdays: Celebrity Meet & Greet, GMA Celebrity Ukay-Ukay and GMA Celebrity Auction and Variety Show every weekends.

Other activities include Kid's Fashion Show by Tiddletots, Christmas Caroling by Arts of Music Band, Soap Workshops by Artisan Heritage Group of Companies, performances by Saranggola Productions, Metro Buskers Club, Songwriters Society Philippines and Raven and the Papis.

The ongoing Okada bazaar runs until 17 Dec. and will have new merchants every week to ensure diversity of displays. The second edition will be from 24 to 30 November at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, where visitors can also shop at Okada through a shuttle transfer.

The third and final leg will run from 8 to 10 December at the Filinvest Tent Alabang in Muntinlupa City.

Now on its 22nd year, the bazaar is offering a wide array of apparel, fashion accents, home furnishings, food, gift ideas, books, personal effects, novelty items and fast-moving consumer goods.

For exhibitors and consumers' convenience, Noel Bazaar has teamed up with Maya Philippines, Smart and PLDT for a hassle-free digital shopping experience. The convergence aims to help micro, small and medium enterprises for cashless convenience to empower local enterprises, particularly those who are not within the traditional banking system.

With the partnership, merchants can avail of the Maya Business' 1-2-3 Grow Bundle where they can accept online or in-store payments and help them increase income with Maya Business Deposit's 2.5-percent annual interest. MSMEs can also access Maya Flexi Loan with zero collateral for financial flexibility to help them expand their customer base.

Portions of the proceeds of Noel Bazaar will benefit the charities supported by the GMA Network's Kapuso Foundation, which has helped build 442 classrooms and 8 bridges in needy communities across the country.