Who is bothered by the ‘lugaw’ tag? Not Vice President Leni Robredo, after her supporters set a lugaw feeding program on her 56th birthday. 

It will be Vice President Leni Robredo’s 56th birthday on Friday, April 23, and her supporters will be holding what they called the “National Lugaw Day.”

To celebrate her upcoming birthday, 69 groups of Robredo supporters will serve a filling meal of lugaw or porridge in various communities nationwide. 

Jover Laurio, also known as the blogger behind Pinoy Ako Blog who supports Robredo, said the #volunteersforleni organized this Friday’s lugaw feeding program.

“Dati sabi ko sana maka 56 Team(s) kami sa community feeding. Kasi nga gift naming mga #volunteersforleni sa 56th birthday ni VP Leni Robredo sa April 23 (Before I said, I hope we can have 56 teams on the community feeding. Because it is a gift of the #volunteersforleni on the 56th birthday of VP Leni Robredo on April 23). But now we are 69 Teams,” she said in a Facebook post.

As of Monday morning, another Robredo supporter from Cubao, Quezon City, joined the initiative. His team pledged lugaw for 1,000 beneficiaries.

Trolls have long been calling the vice president “Lugaw Queen” or “Leni Lugaw” in social media. Her derisive nickname was born out of the photos of her campaign team selling porridge that spread online during the 2016 elections.

Laurio likened the overwhelming support of volunteers on the feeding program to the community pantry that has opened in more areas to provide food and groceries to the needy.

“Ang daming Pilipino may mga mabubuting puso! Just like the community pantry, nagsusulputan din sila (There are many Filipinos with good heart. Just like the community pantry, they have emerged),” she added.

This feeding program aims to show support as well as heed Robredo’s call to raise funds and do community work to help people affected by the coronavirus pandemic instead of spending on streamers for her yet unsure 2022 presidential bid.

For Robredo, responding to the COVID-19 crisis remains to be a priority.

Heeding her call, the 69 groups will provide porridge to the needy in Iloilo, Bulacan, Cebu, Isabela, Batangas, Rizal, Masbate, Basilan, Cavite, Laguna, Maguindana, Antique, and some cities in Metro Manila, among others.

“There's a one team from Twitter who will sponsor 300 lugaw (bowls) for street dwellers sa (in) Liwasang Bonifacio (Manila). Sobrang inspired sila sa ginagawa ni VP Leni Gerona Robredo kaya ganito sila kaaktibo tumulong (They are very inspired to what VP Leni Gerona Robredo is doing that’s why they are active in helping),” Laurio said in another post.