Parada ng Lechon – the ultimate fiesta experience
Published Jun 23, 2018 04:45 pm
The world-famous “Parada ng Lechon” of Balayan, Batangas, dubbed as the ultimate fiesta experience in the Philippines, will roar to life anew on June 24.
The yearly parade of hundreds of mouth-watering roast pigs originated in the old thanksgiving custom of the working class in honor of Saint John the Baptist in what-used-to-be the poor and depressed area of the Kanluran district (western Poblacion) of the town, famous also for its Bagoong Balayan.
During the Spanish and American regimes, families who were fortunate enough to receive significant blessings during the past year would parade a lechon in the town plaza every June 24.
To the poor people of Balayan, parading a lechon in the plaza, where the Roman Catholic Church is at the center, is the best show of thanksgiving and veneration to their patron saint.
Even during those early times, the sight of people parading lechons – coupled with the centuries-old practice of water dousing in places where St. John the Baptist is the patron saint – was quite a spectacle to behold.
As the years passed, as more and more people received blessings or became successful, more and more lechons were paraded every June 24, and a tourist attraction was born that has since become the pride and crown jewel of the town.
In 1959, the elders of the district organized the Hermandad San Juan Bautista (Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist) to oversee the celebration of what has come to be known as the Parada ng Lechon sa Balayan, Batangas.
The media had also described the Parada ng Lechon as “the most hospitable and unique fiesta celebration in the country” because the fun does not end with the parade of roast pigs.
Beer and music lovers attest that the real fun begins after the parade when Balayan town becomes a very big and open beer fest area where people drink enormous amounts of beer and other liquors and listen to dozens of live bands in many streets of the poblacion and even in many barrios.
And lastly, for this year’s celebration of Parada ng Lechon, we will be joined by Special Assistant to the President (SAP), Sec. Bong Go, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar and Cong. KarloNograles, Representative of the 1st District of Davao City.
The yearly parade of hundreds of mouth-watering roast pigs originated in the old thanksgiving custom of the working class in honor of Saint John the Baptist in what-used-to-be the poor and depressed area of the Kanluran district (western Poblacion) of the town, famous also for its Bagoong Balayan.
During the Spanish and American regimes, families who were fortunate enough to receive significant blessings during the past year would parade a lechon in the town plaza every June 24.
To the poor people of Balayan, parading a lechon in the plaza, where the Roman Catholic Church is at the center, is the best show of thanksgiving and veneration to their patron saint.
Even during those early times, the sight of people parading lechons – coupled with the centuries-old practice of water dousing in places where St. John the Baptist is the patron saint – was quite a spectacle to behold.
As the years passed, as more and more people received blessings or became successful, more and more lechons were paraded every June 24, and a tourist attraction was born that has since become the pride and crown jewel of the town.
In 1959, the elders of the district organized the Hermandad San Juan Bautista (Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist) to oversee the celebration of what has come to be known as the Parada ng Lechon sa Balayan, Batangas.
The media had also described the Parada ng Lechon as “the most hospitable and unique fiesta celebration in the country” because the fun does not end with the parade of roast pigs.
Beer and music lovers attest that the real fun begins after the parade when Balayan town becomes a very big and open beer fest area where people drink enormous amounts of beer and other liquors and listen to dozens of live bands in many streets of the poblacion and even in many barrios.
And lastly, for this year’s celebration of Parada ng Lechon, we will be joined by Special Assistant to the President (SAP), Sec. Bong Go, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar and Cong. KarloNograles, Representative of the 1st District of Davao City.