The first ever National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. (Natfed) Hog Festival was held March 1-5, 2024. The event started with a Guinness World Record attempt for the Most Number of Pork Dishes on Display, followed by two days of the Panindang Pinoy booth display, a celebratory degustation dinner on the fourth day, and a backyard congress on the final day.
The federation’s objectives at that time were to create awareness and promote fresh local Pinoy pork, increase per capita pork consumption, establish farm to fork linkages of farmers to institutional markets, promote the Philippines (particularly Quezon City) as a food tourism destination, and help backyard farmers repopulate safely.
In the end, a new Guinness World Record for the Philippines was established with the Most Number of Pork Dishes on Display, at 313. The federation also successfully linked some of the country’s pork farmers directly with chefs and restaurants. The demand and consumption of pork increased noticeably because of the upward movement of farm gate prices. Quezon City was given much media coverage and promoted as a food destination. Finally, 200 backyard farmers were educated on bio-security practices. This initial success prompted Natfed to embark on a yearly Hog Festival celebration.
The growth of the local swine industry was sidetracked, however, with the reoccurrence of African swine fever (ASF) in several pig-producing regions, causing a temporary shortage and a subsequent price increase. The Department of Agriculture put a cap on retail prices to make fresh pork more affordable to consumers, and to prevent profiteering in the supply chain. In the end, pork importation for 2024 increased substantially to almost 800 million kilograms. While imported pork is given preferential tariff cuts, local swine farmers have no incentive to restart operations. Real food security can only be accomplished when food is produced locally, so more local production must be encouraged to achieve food self-sufficiency.
It is Natfed’s objective for its Hog Festival 2025 to promote fresh local pork as a safer and more nutritious protein source, as against cheaper but less reliable imported pork. It is their goal to increase pork consumption by reminding Filipinos of why this is a pork loving nation, encouraging pig farmers to come back and produce more. The event’s will be “Sarap ng Pinoy Pork..mula nguso hanggang buntot!”
Natfed will hold a one-day Hog Festival on May 31, 2025 with a cook-off exhibition between beauty invited queens and renowned chefs, using different parts of the pig. The festival will be held at Gateway 2 in Araneta Center, and will be open to all interested viewers. A panel of judges will declare the final winners.
A Pork Degustation Feast will follow with invited culinary school students, restaurant owners, and chefs show casing signature pork dishes while using the different parts of the pig, from snout to tail. This will highlight the fact that pork is a very good source of food protein, with almost zero wastage. With the support of the Department of Tourism, Natfed is also aiming for the Philippines to be part of the Michelin Guide.
The NatFed Hog Festival 2025 is a grand celebration of Filipino culinary heritage, which honors the versatility of pork and showcases Filipino cuisine by placing it on the global stage.
