Catch the final leg of Noel Bazaar at SMX Pasay

If you haven't been to the Noel Bazaar this year, this is your last chance to catch the Philippines' biggest and longest-running shopping event.

The third and final leg of the Noel Bazaar at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City will run from December 15 to 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Proceeds from the Noel Bazaar, presented by GMA Network, will go to various charitable institutions: the Noel Gozon Memorial Foundation, the GMA Kapuso Foundation, the Philippine Inquirer Newsboys Foundation, the Associate Missionaries of Assumption, the Gifts and Graces Foundation, the Saint Peter and John Parish, the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, and the Lingkod ng Potrero Foundation.

Among those who graced the opening ceremony on Thursday were GMA News anchor Mel Tiangco; ‎GMA Kapuso Foundation executive vice president/COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog; Mayose Gozon-Bautista, president of Cut Unlimited, the organizer of Noel Bazaar; Tessa Prieto-Valdes, fashion designer and philanthropist; and Kapuso artists Gabbi Garcia and Ruru Madrid.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Cut Unlimited business development officer Justine Bautista said there are about 300 concessionaires at the Noel Bazaar at SMX Convention Center.

The figure is lower than the number of vendors at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, where the bazaar was held from November 18 to 30.

However, there are more concessionaires at the SMX Convention Center compared to the Noel Bazaar at the Filinvest Tent in Alabang, where the shopping event was held from December 2-4.

Bautista said they always ensure a good mix of products featured at the bazaar: clothes, shoes, toys, bags, books, baked goods, perfumes, and more.

Celebrity items

Bautista also said one of the main features of the Noel Bazaar at the SMX Convention Center is the Celebrity Ukay Ukay booth.

This features pre-loved items, mostly clothes and shoes, donated by Kapuso stars such as Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Aljur Abrenica, Julie Anne San Jose, Dennis Trillo, Tom Rodriguez, Carla Abellana, Ruru Madrid, Gabbi Garcia, Bianca Umali, and Miguel Tanfelix.

The Kapuso stars also host auctions of some of the special items they have shared.

On Thursday, the clothes that Gabbi and Ruru wore for past teleseryes were the featured items during the auction that was held after they performed for their fans.

The two stars had proceeded to the SMX Convention Center for the morning opening of the Noel Bazaar even though their shooting for "Encantadia," one of GMA Network's biggest shows this year, had just ended at 6:00 a.m.

Gabbi auctioned off two items: a romper and a pair of nude high-heeled shoes.

Gabbi said she wore the romper on some teleseryes, including "Let the Love Begin" in 2015. In that teleserye, she was the daughter of Donita Rose, who happened to be the host of the opening ceremony of the Noel Bazaar on Thursday.

Gabbi said the shoes were special to her as those were the first high-heeled shoes she owned. Gabbi's romper and shoes were bought for P3,500 by a mom who said her young daughter was the actress' fan.

Ruru, meanwhile, auctioned off a long-sleeved polo shirt that he said he wore on some teleseryes including "Dormitoryo" in 2013.

Ruru said he loved wearing that shirt but has outgrown it as he developed a more muscular body after he started going to the gym.

Ruru's blue shirt was bought by GMA Kapuso Foundation head Escudero-Catibog for P1,500.

"Noel Bazaar is one of our biggest sources of income," Escudero-Catibog said in an interview with GMA News Online.

She said GMA Kapuso Foundation's Celebrity Ukay Ukay did "very, very well" in its last run at the World Trade Center. There was no Celebrity Ukay Ukay booth at the Noel Bazaar at Filinvest Tent.

"We will hit our target in this last leg," she said, explaining that they are hoping to raise around P1 million for the various projects of the GMA Kapuso Foundation.

"It's very important that we hit a certain amount of sales because everything that is sold here in the Celebrity Ukay Ukay at the Noel Bazaar goes 100 percent to the GMA Kapuso Foundation," she said.

"For those of you who will buy here, you will help build schools, you will help feed malnourished schoolchildren, and you will help provide relief goods to people who will be hit by the different typhoons in 2017." — BM, GMA News