No Filipino party is complete without a Lechon. Or so I grew up thinking.
Lechon reminds me of Sunday lunches. It was part of many Sunday lunches at my grandparents’ homes. (Actually, it still is.) We did not always have whole roasted pig, but it was always there.
Growing up, I spent Sunday lunches either with my paternal relatives in Obrero or at my maternal grandparents’ home in Juna. With my paternal relatives, we’d have lechon randomly. Even up to now. Usually a kilo or two from nearby lechoneros.
Lechon at Sunday Lunch
Meanwhile, the other side of the family was way bigger. So we would usually have a whole pirg or two, but usually lechon de leche which was smaller, with more tender and tastier meat. Most of my cousins aimed to get ribs. I preferred the belly meat under the ribs.
We spent most Sundays at my lola’s house. Lunch was at 12 noon because some family members would be attending the 11 am mass. At 12 noon, we would congregate at Lola’s house fo lunch, and most events and celebrations were done on those Sundays: birthdays, graduations, awards, Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Easter, etc. After lunch, my cousins and I would gather at Lola’s room or in our cousins’ room to watch the Sunday noontime show ASAP and the afternoon teen drama, Tabing Ilog. Sometimes, we’d go to the mall to watch a movie or just to hang out.
A whole roast pig was not always there every Sunday. But it was there whenever there was a reason to celebrate. It was also there on Christmas and New Year and most other special occasions. Even if it was not Sunday.
In the early days of the pandemic, one of my aunts sent me a kilo of lechon because it was my lola’s birthday and they bought one. Quarantine was strict, and there was no party. But they ordered pancit and lechon to be sent to family members.
We now rarely come together for Sunday lunch.
Personally, I work on most Sundays. Every now and then, we still gather for special occasions. And on most of those parties and gatherings, we still have lechon. Sometimes it’s a whole roast pig. When it’s extra special, it can also be lechon baka.
You can say Lechon is part of Filipino culture. For me, it’s part of my personal history, as well. It will always remind me of Sunday lunches.
What does a whole roast pig remind you of?
This is my first entry (August 1) for the Davao Journal Circle’s August 2026 Art Prompts.
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