In Chinese culture, the Lunar New Year 2019 is the Year of the Pig where Chinese communities around the world celebrated the Year of the Pig Parade last February. Here in the U.S., several states celebrate Pigs on Parade for fundraising events using live pigs. In the Philippines, the folks of the towns of Balayan and Batangas feature the crispy roast pig or lechon at their annual local fiesta in June. The lechons go on parade surrounded by barbed wire to deter greedy hands.

At the centerpiece of any Filipino fiesta table, the lechon, or whole roast pig, is king. So prized is this succulent dish that the folks of Balayan in Batangas have highlighted the feast of their patron saint, St. John, with a tribute to golden-red lechon. On the eve of the fiesta, an anniversary ball is held at the town plaza, where the lechon queen is…