La Loma's Lechon Festival returns for the first time since 2019

The annual Lechon Festival in La Loma, Quezon City has returned for the first time in four years.

According to Chino Gaston's report on "24 Oras Weekend," Sunday, the festival was not held the previous years due to health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The celebration included a parade of floats with creative designs, such as a lechon angel, lechon beauty queen, lechon mascots, and lechon in Mardi Gras costume.

"Hindi na puwedeng maialis sa handaan at hapagkainan, kahit papaano merong lechon," said Noel Aban, an official of a lechon company.

Aban said lechon sales during the pandemic was reduced by 40 to 60% during the pandemic, but it is now recovering.

La Loma is the Lechon Capital of the Philippines. It's not certain when exactly the lechon industry began in La Loma, but one lechon maker believes that it's been around for approximately 100 years.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News