Cooking a lechon is a serious team effort. Early in the morning, two or three cooks set up a long pole over a bed of glowing charcoal. They spend up to six hours turning the pole slowly by hand, basting the pig with coconut water and soy sauce so the skin gets crackly and the meat stays juicy.
When the lechon is ready, it is the star of the table. The most prized part is the crispy skin - thin, salty and crunchy. Adults often save the best pieces for the youngest children at the party. Lechon is usually eaten with a thick liver-and-vinegar sauce called Mang Tomas, and lots of steamed rice.
Different parts of the Philippines have their own style. The island of Cebu is so famous for its lechon that food writers around the world have called Cebu lechon 'the best roast pig you can eat anywhere'. Other towns swear by their own herbs and spices stuffed into the pig before roasting.
Because lechon takes so long and feeds so many, it is always a 'together' food. A whole village might share one. There are no plates passed around with one slice each - it is a big communal feast, where everyone tears off a piece, dips it, and eats it with their hands.