‘FOR YOUR EYES ONLY’: Town’s lechon festival draws flak after paraded roasted pigs were all reserved

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Fifty-four roasted pigs were paraded for the 1st Lechon Festival of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

The activity was promoted and publicized. After all, it was not just a first for Sta. Barbara town but it also denoted Iloilo province’s resiliency, as it continues to battle the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF).

But all the hype and excitement turned to disgust and disappointment, to say the least, for visitors who travelled to Sta. Barbara.

Dine-in experience? It did not happen. And so, too, for the on-site selling of lechon which visitors expected.

It appeared that most, if not all lechons, have been reserved prior to the activity.

Buyers were turned down and were left with no choice but to go home hungry and with no lechon in tow.

And as spectators said, the lechon festival was nothing but a display of roasted pigs, decorated to look more appetizing.

The online world was abuzz with different memes for the festival. Most suggested to re-name the affair as “reservation festival.”

“Kadto tawo gutom kay ga expect dira ma food fest ang ending reserve tanan na lechon…welcome to Reserve Festival,” Rizzel Bagaforo said on Facebook.

Others were quoted to have said that eating lechon will not kill you but the stress of traveling and being told that all the lechon was reserved might.

As Facebook user Jud Reyes Faulkerspn said: “Basi makibot lang ta may naga ka rilipong ja. kag abuton ka pagka Highblood nanda.”

A few days before the festival, Facebook page Santa Barbara Ugyon noted that the suggested retail price of lechon will be P290/Kilo and would be made available for dine-in and take-out. It also invited backyard hog raisers to participate.

As advertised by the FB page, the festival would be a competition of “Pagwapa gwapa kag pa “namit namit” nga lechon.” (The prettiest and most delicious roasted pig.)

In fact, it posted a P10,000 cash prize for the top winner; P9,000 for second place; and P8,000 for third place.

Consolation prizes were also promised.

A few days ago, the Iloilo provincial government said it has set up measures to spur the recovery of the swine industry amid the ASF scare.

Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. deemed that the holding of a pork festival in the entire province of Iloilo as a program will be beneficial in the prevention, containment, depopulation, and recovery measures against ASF.

On Nov 24, Defensor issued Executive Order No. 545 Series of 2022, which orders the implementation of Festival Kontra ASF.

The program will implement activities towards strengthening the resilience of backyard farmers and boosting the swine industry.

Defensor clarified, though, that the pork festival “is not a pork eating festival” but is a program with a series of activities geared towards recovery from ASF.

It was deemed that the lechon festival is one of the activities aligned for the purpose.