Belmonte welcomes new Guinness record at pork festival

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has welcomed the new Guinness World Record for the most number of pork dishes displayed during the opening of the five-day hog festival at Gateway 2 mall in Cubao on Friday.

“This feat is another proud moment for the city, proving once again that once we set a goal, we work as one until we achieve it,” Belmonte said in a statement.

“The commitment shown by the participants in meticulously preparing these delectable dishes is  truly remarkable. We thank the hog raisers for choosing our city to host this year’s world record vying festival,” she added.

The Quezon City government was among those that provided support for the festival, which was led by the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NatFed).

The city’s Business Permits and Licensing Department and Veterinary Department earlier committed to ensure that proper protocols are followed in the preparation of the dishes.

With 313 unique dishes, the event secured the world record for the most number of pork dishes on display.

“This is a trailblazing initiative of local hog raisers to partner with allied hospitality and tourism sectors in promoting fresh, clean and safe local pork through the utmost support of an inclusive and all-embracing city government like Quezon City,” said Jayson Cainglet, executive director of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura and NatFed consultant.

According to organizers, pork dishes served during the event used meat sourced from local hog producers.

“The five-day hog festival aims to promote local pork consumption to achieve the country’s food security goals, as well as highlight the country’s unique and rich culinary tradition of serving pork dishes,” said the local government.

“The festivities have also linked the hog producers with institutional markets like restaurants and hotels with the hope of lessening their dependence on imported pork, and promote inclusive cities like QC as a food tourism destination and culinary center, serving sumptuous and unique local pork dishes,” it added.