On May 31, 2025, the Hog Festival 2025 Philippines closed its weeklong celebration with a grand degustation dinner under the lights of the Versailles Tent at Novotel Manila Araneta City.
More than a feast, it was a powerful advocacy event—uniting chefs, farmers, students, restaurateurs, and food lovers in their commitment to support local pork and celebrate Filipino food traditions. The evening was rich with pride, purpose, and renewed culinary passion.
Why Hog Festival 2025 Philippines Matters
The festival was made possible through the full support of Gateway Mall and Novotel Manila Araneta City—key partners from the Araneta Group whose venues and collaboration provided the ideal stage for this celebration of Filipino culinary heritage. Their backing highlights the power of public-private partnerships in preserving food traditions and supporting agricultural advocacy.
Organized by the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. (NatFed), the festival is more than a showcase—it is an advocacy-driven campaign aimed at restoring pride in locally raised pork and the Filipino traditions behind it. Amid challenges such as African Swine Fever and the dominance of imported pork, the festival positions itself as a culinary and cultural response, urging consumers to support homegrown producers and embrace sustainable, nose-to-tail cooking.
“This is more than good food—it’s about creating awareness and legacy,” said Jan Buenaflor, project director of the Hog Festival. “It’s literally like a fiesta last night—everyone was happy eating, drinking, and kwentuhan. It was so nice to see that this Hog Festival brought people together.”
For additional insight into the goals and deeper advocacy behind the festival, readers can explore Simpol.ph’s editorial on Hog Festival 2025, where Chef Tatung shares his perspective on the state of the local pork industry.
Building on a Record-Breaking Legacy
This evolution from breaking records to deepening public engagement reflects not only growth in the festival’s scale, but a maturing of its substance and advocacy goals.
In 2024, the Hog Festival entered the global spotlight by setting a Guinness World Record for the most variety of pork dishes on display—a staggering 313 dishes showcased at Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City. That event drew chefs, community members, and culinary students into a vibrant celebration of Filipino creativity and pork heritage.
This year, the festival shifted its focus from quantity to depth—highlighting sustainable, whole-hog cooking and honoring the people and practices behind Filipino pork dishes.
Culinary Stars Unite for Pork and Purpose
The degustation dinner brought together an impressive lineup of culinary leaders, including World Kitchens chefs Steve Ma, Jessie Sincioco, and Gale Sun, alongside Chef Massi Pauletto, Chef Roland Laudico, Chef Jacqueline Laudico, Chef Kalel Chan, Chef Dedet de la Fuente, Chef EJ Buenaflor, Chef Miguel Cabel Moreno, Chef Nathaniel Uy, Chef KV Manlapaz, and Chef Mike Santos. These chefs, along with hotel-based culinary teams and student chefs, showcased the versatility of pork with over 35 innovative dishes—from appetizers to desserts—embracing the nose-to-tail philosophy. Often-overlooked cuts like ears, maskara, tail, and blood were transformed into culinary centerpieces, demonstrating the depth of Filipino creativity and the advocacy behind local pork utilization.
The menu included modern and classic interpretations: lechon belly with bagoong glaze, kinilaw-style pork maskara, dinuguan with native cacao, crispy pata confit, and chicharon-style balat served with liver sauce. Though not every dish was individually documented, the shared effort was clearly driven by a respect for tradition and innovation.
Chefs vs. Queens: A Celebration of Homegrown Talent
Adding a dose of humor and flair was the “Cooking Showdown: Chefs vs. Queens,” a spirited competition where professional chefs went up against a team of culinary-minded personalities: Adobo Queen Nancy Reyes-Lumen, Binibining Pilipinas 2024 queens Christal Jean and Trisha Martinez, and viral sensation Sassa Gurl.
In a delightful upset, the Queens claimed victory—winning over the judges with dishes that combined playful presentation with real flavor. It was a reminder that Filipino cooking belongs to everyone—from fine dining kitchens to neighborhood carinderias. The showdown was sponsored by Mama Sita’s, Masflex and La Germania
Fun showdown at Hog Festival 2025 as the Queens, led by Adobo Queen Nancy Lumen,
go head-to-head with the Chefs, led by Chef Massi Pauletto of Novotel Manila—serving flavor, flair,
and plenty of laughs onstage.
Support from Quezon City Leadership
The event also received strong backing from the local government of Quezon City, with Mayor Joy Belmonte present during the festivities. Her participation in the ceremonial chopping and tasting of lechon marked not just a symbolic start to the celebration, but also underscored the city’s commitment to promoting local agriculture and culinary heritage. Quezon City has consistently supported the Hog Festival, including last year’s Guinness World Record, and continues to help amplify efforts that promote Filipino food culture and empower backyard farmers.
From Awareness to Action: How Hog Festival 2025 Philippines Educates and Inspires
Beyond the festivities and flavors, Hog Festival 2025 Philippines also aimed to educate consumers about the value and versatility of local pork. For Chef Nathaniel Uy, known as The Hungry Chef, the message was clear: “To create awareness and utilization.”
Awareness, he emphasized, is about understanding the advantages of supporting the local pork industry—particularly when it comes to freshness, safety, and accountability. “With local pork, you are assured of fresh cut meats, and can easily check the quality because you can get these not yet frozen,” he explained.
Equally important is utilization. “Since every part is available, there are options to use alternative cuts instead of always relying on liempo or kasim,” he said. “Parts can be swapped in recipes, offering more sustainable usage of the pig.”
Chef Uy demonstrated this principle in practice with two standout dishes he served at the festival: Lasagna Corazon and Nachos Corazon—both made using pig’s heart, a cut often overlooked in mainstream cooking. These dishes weren’t just creative—they embodied the festival’s message of sustainable, full-animal utilization. “This festival can impart know-how on using off-cuts,” he shared. “With dishes like these, we’re showing that even the most underutilized parts can be turned into something truly delicious.”
Finally, Chef Uy tied the culinary mission back to its deeper impact: “ASF really has a huge effect on the sales and production of pig as a whole. We need to revitalize the industry to help stabilize demand—and in doing so, help regulate meat prices for everyone.”
Through advocacy-driven dishes and conversation, the Hog Festival reminded attendees that pork is more than just an ingredient—it’s a livelihood, a legacy, and a chance to cook more consciously.
Voices from the Culinary Community
Alfred Ng, Vice Chairman of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc., also shared his reflections on the event:
“The Pork Feast Degustation was an excellent opportunity for chefs, resto owners, students, and cooking nanays to interact and showcase their unique creativity in preparing over 35 pork dishes—from appetizers to dessert—following Hog Festival’s theme of ‘Sarap ng Pinoy Pork… Mula Nguso hanggang Buntot.’
It was an evening where hog farmers, allied industry partners like feedmillers and veterinary companies, media, food enthusiasts, content creators, and beauty queens came together to share their common passion for food.
It reminded everyone of our shared love for pork, local produce, and our commitment to supporting hog farmers.
The festive atmosphere featured music, folk dances by LPU students, and cocktails from Destileria Limtuaco.
It was a superb gastronomic experience for many, with eight lechons served. NatFed hopes that we have conveyed our message to buy local, eat local, and support local pig farmers.”
The energy and emotion of the evening were felt deeply by those who live and breathe Filipino food. A passionate advocate for Filipino lechon and the creative force behind Pepita’s Kitchen, Dedet de la Fuente—widely known as the Lechon Diva—shared her gratitude:
“Last night’s Hog Raisers Festival was a true celebration of Filipino flavor and community—bringing together passion, talent, and pride in our local produce. Maraming salamat to the people behind this event—Chairman, Vice Chair Alfred, and Jan Buenaflor! All the hard work these past months paid off. The Philippine culinary community is more inspired than ever after last night’s event.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Hog Festival 2025 Philippines
Following the success of Hog Festival 2025 Philippines, organizers are now planning regional editions of the event, culinary workshops, and partnerships with schools to spread awareness about sustainable pork cooking and local farming. As Chef Tatung wrote in his recent Simpol editorial, “When we choose local, when we honor every cut—we’re not just cooking. We’re keeping history alive.”
In every dish served, every story shared, and every bite savored, the Hog Festival affirmed a powerful truth: Filipino food is not only delicious—it’s meaningful. It is culture, community, and advocacy on a plate.
Whether you’re a home cook, a culinary student, a chef, or simply someone who loves a good pork dish, now is the time to act. Choose local. Ask your butcher where your pork comes from. Explore new cuts. Support your neighborhood meat vendor. Share what you learned. The Hog Festival may be over, but its call to celebrate and sustain Filipino pork is just beginning. Let’s keep cooking—and keep the legacy alive.
