Teacher’s pet

In this Year of the Pig, anything associated with the animal is considered to be lucky — not just the figurines sold in Chinatown stores but also live pigs.

Debbie Pampan, a teacher from Imus, Cavite, has a black native pig for a pet. If the Chinese superstition is to be believed, then the first stroke of good luck for Pampan brought about by Porkchop, the name of her pet, happened in the form of a special TV feature about the odd couple shown on Sunday.

Pampan said she decided to have a pig for a pet when she saw one in a zoo. According to the teacher, she chose the animal because it is gentler than other species of pets.

The teacher always dresses up Porkchop transforming her into a fashionista swine. It likes to eat sweets, like champorado, chocolates and candies.

Pampan swears she never thought of cooking Porkchop into lechon. Of course, she was not lying as Porkchop never ended up for the noche buena or media noche during the recent holidays. If ever the family’s feast included adobo, crispy pata and lechon, she used meat sourced from other hogs, so she had no guilt feelings enjoying the porky delights.

However lucky Porkchop is this year because she is a teacher’s pet, it won’t be for others like it, particularly those already in the frozen meat section of supermarkets. Oink!