Lechon Festival is celebrated at Balayan, Batangas every June 24th in honor of St. John the Baptist.
Lechon is a popular dish in Batangas and other parts of the Philippines. Most Batagueños serve it as a main dish during festivals or fiestas. It is said that there was a lechon even before the arrival of the Spaniards according to people of Balayan. Serving lechon during festivals has become a representation of Batangas heritage.
Parada ng Lechon sa Balayan first comes to be known when the elders of Kanluran district arrange the Hermandad San Juan Bautista or also known as the Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist, in 1959.
Roasted pigs are dressed like humans or sometimes famous characters during the parade. In comparison, others are just covered with plastic to protect and prevent the dousing from getting soggy.
Lechon Festival at present lasts for two weeks, with a lot of other different activities. The parade starts with a mass at the Church of Immaculate Conception.
The festival has become widely known for its continuously preserve culture, and many tourists, both local and foreign, gather at Balayan to experience it themselves.
How to Prepare the Pig for the Parade?
The preparation for the roasted pig starts with it being placed in a spit, and then they will place the charcoal on both sides of the pig in a roasting pit. It will make the skin crispy through slow baking while covering the skin with water and oil or fat using a brush made with banana leaves. This process will go for at least 5 hours.
After roasting the Lechon, locals will dress it depending on the theme of the annual event. Social organizations get to choose the theme of the parade every year. After that, they will wrap clear plastic all over the lechon to avoid getting wet during the parade.
Participating lechons or roasted pigs will be placed and lined up in front of Immaculate Conception church’s patio. At the same time, though, mass is being said and blessed in honor of St. John the Baptist.
What is the Feast of Saint John the Baptist?
Aside from the parade, people are awaiting another event known as the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, regarded as the festival’s most anticipated and exciting part. It is otherwise called basaan, or the dousing of water after the parade. It symbolizes the baptism of Jesus Christ. The festival is a religious ceremony for the villagers of Balayan. It also gives a place for a trade-off to happen.
On the streets of Balayan, the parade and revelry begin. Bystanders will drench the parade participants with water as it passes through the streets. Even on parade, passers-by are welcome to take a piece of lechon. In that way, this adds to the distinctiveness and excitement of the event.
What other local products can people enjoy?
Not only are lechons featured during the event, but there are also other popular local dishes to sample in Balayan, such as Bagoong Balayan, a Pinoy condiment made by fermenting ground scads (galunggong) or anchovies (dilis). You can also try the well-known Batangas Lomi.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Bagoong Balayan, which often describe as a condiment that has a brownish color that smells fishy and tastes like cheese. We can find other versions of this dish found all across the country, but Balayan’s is the greatest.
Another primary product of Balayan is salakot, a Filipino traditional wide-brimmed hat often made of rattan.
Tips for Attending the Lechon Festival:
- Don’t bring your gadget at any cost if you don’t want it to get damaged from getting soaked from the parade.
- Bring extra clothing with you because you’ll get wet no matter where you go.
- Bring a bucket of water, tabo, bottled water, water gun, water in a balloon, or anything you can throw back when someone doused you. You better be ready for your counterattack!
- And lastly, have fun with the locals!
Lechon Festival
The Lechon Festival is proof that we have a vibrant culture. In the present time, it is enough for us to look back on it and learn yet another great tradition of our own. The only wish we can have is for the outbreak to end to see it again and feel it firsthand.
Read more: Balayan Church a National Cultural Treasure
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