A lechon festival? Why not! Cebuanos eat lechon daily

Such a beloved symbol of Cebu deserves its own annual fair. From Aug. 7 to 17, families and visitors can celebrate culture and cuisine at the Cebu Lechon Festival 2025, held at Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City. Apart from the lechon food fair, there are culinary competitions, chef wars, live music, local arts and crafts plus creative activities for kids. 

My husband Roberto and I were conveniently billeted at the Belmont Hotel, a five-minute walk away from Mactan Alfresco where the activities take place. We were happily reunited with Harold Geronimo, head of public relations and media affairs, Megaworld Corporation, for our visit.

Harold, looking slimmer and more fit every time we see him, regaled us with encouraging stories of his dramatic but sensible weight-loss program. And as if to drive home the point that there can be a balance between enjoying Cebu’s prized lechon and staying healthy, our trip coincided with Ironman 70.3 Cebu, also hosted by Mactan Newtown. It felt surreal to be surrounded by athletes from all over the world in the hotel, on the streets of the township, at Gordon Ramsay’s outlets and at the Mactan Newtown beach.

Our first lunch on this food trip was at Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips, located just outside the Belmont. I ordered the lobster and shrimp combo to be able to compare it to the same dish I had at Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips in New York. The local slipper lobster was sweeter and more tender, which was what I was expecting from Cebu’s excellent seafood. We capped off this light meal with sticky date pudding from Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger next door, before heading off to Mactan Alfresco for the start of the festival activities.

The Lechon Fair was officially opened by DOT Region 7 director Judy Dela Cruz Gabato, joined by Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Junard “Ahong” Chan; DTI Region 7 officer Kyle Durano; Marilou Kiunisala, The Mactan Newtown general manager; and culinary content creators Jujumao and Arion Marin. The ceremonial opening included a tour of the roasting pit, fun dances and the symbolic turnover of the roasting stick.

The highly anticipated Chef Wars was held immediately afterwards. As one of the judges, I had to make tough decisions since the competing chefs were at the top of their lechon game. These included popular Jujumao, Belmont Hotel executive chef Paolo Aviso and Savoy Hotel chef de partie Ian Luta. They were joined by The Mactan Newtown partner restaurants chefs from Shikisai Japanese Restaurant, chef Filemon Leguis; Bar Samurai and Geisha Lounge, chef Therese Yap; and seasoned international chef of MSC cruise line, Angel Villarin.

The six had 30 minutes to prepare a dish highlighting the unique flavor of Cebu lechon while telling a story of cultural relevance. They had to display their mastery of technique, innovation and presentation. At the end of the day, it was all about flavor. 

First placer chef Paolo Aviso of Belmont Hotel prepared three dishes that were the elements of Cebuano comfort food sutokil—sugba (grilled), tinola (soup, not tinola as Manilans know it but like bulalo) and kinilaw (raw seafood marinated in vinegar). He grilled lechon for the sugba, boiled it to flavor the tinola and tossed small chunks of it with raw tuna for the kinilaw. His take on sutokil was both rustic and refined.

Second placer Jujumao prepared from scratch a Thai green curry, his wife’s favorite. The curry, accented by the herbs used to stuff Cebu lechon did not overwhelm the meat’s distinctive flavor. Meanwhile, third placer Angel Villarin cooked dinakdakan with lechon, explaining that this dish is something he prepares when he and his fellow Filipinos are feeling homesick on the MSC cruise line.

Our dinner later at the Belmont Hotel included lechon crispy flakes, a dish that contest winner chef Paolo Aviso adapted from the Muslim chicken dish pastil. Like the pastil, the meat is first shredded before being cooked with olive oil, onion, garlic, chilis and turmeric powder. A little oyster sauce and soy sauce are added for flavor. But it was Harold who actually suggested cooking Cebu lechon in the style of Bacolod kansi, with batuan as a souring ingredient. I could literally taste this in my head and could hardly wait to try it back in Manila.

It’s a big plus that Mactan Newtown has its own beach, a five-minute walk from the hotel. Early in the morning of our second day, as I was off to catch the sunrise, it was fun to see a veritable United Nations of Ironman participants training at the beach.

“You will see many tourists and foreigners here at Mactan Newtown—one, because of Ironman,” explained Harold. “Two, we have a lot of international English schools here; there are plenty of students. Three, we’re surrounded by many resorts and those billeted there come here to find places to eat.” 

He pointed out some of the 200 mango trees that were planted all over the township, part of the vision of Megaworld’s Andrew Tan. Mactan Newtown hosts an annual Mango Festival in May. These festivals and the international sporting event Ironman have been held at Mactan Newtown since before the pandemic.

Mactan Alfresco is patterned after hawker stalls, and both Ayer’s and Lolo Pinoy Lechon de Cebu are fixtures here. But festival guests were treated daily to live lechon roasting demonstrations, with expert roasters from Carcar, Talisay, Liloan, and Cebu City. Kyle Mellan of The Lechon Co. Cebu explained to us that using a native pig is key to flavor, in addition to the ingredients, cleanliness and following standardized measurements.

Aside from feasting on platefuls of delicious Cebu lechon, other festival highlights included a Pairing Station that did exactly that—pair lechon with crafted beers, mocktails and chasers. For kids, the Lechon for Little Artists zone provided Paint My Lechon Kits so they could decorate their own mini lechon masterpieces. 

“The Cebu Lechon Festival reflects how The Mactan Newtown continues to grow as a cultural and culinary gateway—where food becomes a powerful medium for preserving heritage and shaping new culinary narratives. By turning time-honored traditions into immersive experiences, we celebrate Cebuano pride, elevate local talent, and create a destination where culture, community, and creativity come together through cuisine,” said Marilou Kiunisala, general manager of The Mactan Newtown.

The festival’s exciting events included the Cebu’s Best Lechonero competition, the Culinary School Showdown, and the student-led Sugbuanon Paksiw Wars. Families could have photos with the Lechon Mascot, explore the 3D Lechon Art Exhibition with giant three-foot pig sculptures and imaginative installations by local artists. Stalls selling local crafts and produce lined Mactan Alfresco and the sidewalks of Mactan Newtown.

All too soon we had to bid goodbye to our hotel, and in more ways than one. “Within the year, the Belmont Hotel Mactan will be rebranded as Mercure Mactan Cebu and managed by French hospitality giant Accor,” Harold told us. “Eventually some of our homegrown brands will be rebranded into an Accor hotel brand. In the next few weeks and months, we will be announcing the hotels that we will be rebranding.”

We noticed right away the stylish architecture of the convention center, rising near the Belmont. “The convention center will host next year’s Asean Tourism Forum,” Harold said. He shared the good news that Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen will open at Uptown Mall in BGC in 2026.

Harold explained that reimagination and revitalization keep the townships of Megaworld, which is under the Alliance Global Group, at the top of their game. A seasoned player that has grown steadily through both foresight and prudence, count on Megaworld’s Mactan Newtown and their other townships throughout the Philippines to bring more than just a work-live-play balance into the lives of Filipinos. Exciting events that showcase our culture and show off our natural wonders are just part of the legacy-building activities of this forward-thinking developer.