This Little Piggy: Pig-Human Entanglement in the Philippines

Abstract

Pork is the most consumed meat in the Philippines. Pigs are not only a food source, but they are also entangled with the history and culture of the Filipinos. To investigate the extent exotic pigs (i.e., those imported from other countries) were assimilated into the current swine population in the Philippines, we explored evidence from archaeology, genetics, foodways, history, and ethnography. Combined evidence points to the pre-Hispanic and colonial arrival of exotic domestic breeds that interbred with native populations; their origins can be traced to mainland Asia and Europe. Domestic pigs were used as warship provisions and routinely consumed in Manila and nearby areas during the colonial period. Acceptance of imported pigs in foodways is represented by modern Filipino dishes, where pork replaced the main ingredients in their original foreign versions. Philippine ethnographic records have pigs at the core of beliefs and rituals.