Konted's Make My Day 2: The Legend of Mang Tomas

The Legend of Mang Tomas

Once there lived a medium-built man at a sitio located at the foot of a mountain. His name was Mang Tomas. A virtual unknown, very few people knew him. But through hard work and sheer determination, he gained fame and everybody, throughout the land, was talking about him. He became a legend.

  Mang Tomas was La Loma's first lechonero or pig roaster. He used to sell meat in front of La Loma Cockpit Arena which was just across his house. His business was doing good with sabungeros as his customers.

  Mang Tomas decided to expand and started to roast pigs. And he did the roasting right in front of the cockpit very early in the morning. He would stuff the washed pig with lemon grass and herbs and would place it above a heap of burning coals.

His first few lechons turned out to be so good that his good reputation spread far and wide. People began to frequent La Loma to have a taste of the much-talked about Lechon Ni Mang Tomas.

There is this story that, once, President Ramon Magsaysay visited Mang Tomas' place in La Loma just to savor the succulent native lechon. President Magsaysay dined with his bare hand and dipped the meat generously into the liver sauce which he liked very much.

This became the talk of the town. From then on, the President would order roast pigs during special occasions at the Palace.

With the phenomenal success of Mang Tomas, enterprising individuals followed suit. Mila's Lechon, Ping Ping's, Monchie's, Lito's, Aling Nelia's, Lydia's, etc. are clustered in a place along Retiro St., Calavite St., and A. Bonifacio Avenue.

The La Loma Cockpit Arena, where Mang Tomas started, is still operational. La Loma is now officially called The Lechon Capital of the Philippines.

Back to the liver sauce which President Magsaysay, together with the native lechon, liked very much. The forced heirs of Mang Tomas sold their rights to the Mang Tomas Sarsa ng Lechon to the heirs of the original owners of Aristocrat Restaurant. Then South East Asia Food Inc. took over.

This explains the professional approach to the marketing of the famous bottled sauce. We now see countless bottled sauce at shelves of grocery stores and supermarkets throughout the country bearing the name Mang Tomas Sarsa ng Lechon. Mang Tomas is everywhere.

Oh, yes, Mang Tomas' surname was De Los Reyes. Tomas De Los Reyes was the man who started it all. He is long gone yet everybody is still talking about him.

- Konted

La Loma's welcome arch at Retiro St., now Amoranto Avenue, in Quezon City.

Another welcome arch near the Quezon City- Manila boundary.

As indicated above the welcome arch, La Loma is situated at the foot of a mountain. Hence, the name Brgy. Paang Bundok. Bundok here is what is now Santa Mesa Heights. Near the arch is the Chinese General Hospital. If you turn right here on Bonifacio Avenue, you will reach the NLEX tollgate in Balintawak in 15 minutes without traffic.

The La Loma Cockpit Arena erected in 1902. It is the oldest cockpit arena in the country. Mang Tomas started roasting pig near the entrance to the cockpit.

The La Loma Cockpit Arena has been rehabilitated. I used to watch cockfights here in the late 60s and early 70s with close friends Digos Reyes and Manny King.who were cockfighting aficionados. We would eat at Mang Tomas' place after watching, win or lose.

Cluster of lechon stalls along Retiro St. There are other stalls along Calavite St. which is parallel to Retiro St.

Mang Tomas' Lechon Stall on Retiro St.

You can buy one whole lechon or you can buy by the kilo.

The southern side of Mang Tomas Lechon stall. I talked to a bystander and this was what he said: "Bale yung apo na ang nagpapatakbo niyan. Yung mga anak ni Mang Tomas sa building na nakatira. Mayroon na silang malaking building."

Prices at Mang Tomas and at the other stalls start at P3,500. The smallest lechon is good for 20 to 25 persons.

Mila's Lechon has the biggest stall along Retiro St.

The succulent native lechon of Mila's being chopped.

Roast pigs at Mila's

Says a helper at Mila's stall: "Bagong litson lang po ang mga ito. Lagi ko po pinupunasan ang mga ito para naman maging kaakit akit sa mga bumibili."