The two lugaw (rice porridge) trucks funded by private donors will go around Cavite to “give back” because this has been the example set by presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo.
The lugaw trucks were launched by Robredo and her running mate Senator Francis "Kiko' Pangilinan during their visit to Kawit, Cavite on Thursday, Nov. 25.
The Vice President said the food trucks were given by anonymous donors.
“Overwhelmed talaga kami (We are really overwhelmed),” she told reporters. “And sa akin, iyong nakakagaan ng loob sa lahat, kasi iyong pagsu-suporta pinapakita sa mga productive na bagay (And for me, what is comforting of all is because they are showing their support through productive means).”
Kakampinks in Cavite mobilized two lugaw food trucks painted in Robredo’s campaign color, pink. The two food trucks even have a silhouette of the presidential aspirant’s image based on the artwork by Jeff Crisostomo, Dinagat Island’s public information office head who is a vocal supporter of Robredo.
The words “Leni Lugaw Simple at Malinis (clean)” are also written across the truck.
“Ito po yung nakakahawa na influence ng isang Leni Robredo sa mga ordinaryong tao (This is the contagious influence of one Leni Robredo to ordinary Filipinos),” Jullian Morave, convenor of Youth Vote for Leni, said in an interview.
“No matter what people say, even if they insult us, this is what we’re doing—give back of one, the supporters of Leni Robredo),” he added in Filipino.
READ: Leni-Kiko supporters hold nationwide ‘LugawOne’; here’s why
Morave said they plan to bring the food trucks around the whole Cavite province, a vote-rich region that saw Robredo lose to rival, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in 2016.
Marcos got 556,622 votes against Robredo’s 404,105.
“We are scheduling po mga araw at mga lugar na dadayuhin ng ating lugaw trucks (the days and places that our lugaw trucks will visit). These will go around Cavite, sa buong Cavite (the whole of Cavite),” Morave added.
He boasted that Cavitenos are good cooks and that what makes their lugaw different is that it’s “lugaw with love.”
“Hanggat may matulungan kami tao (Until we can help people) through this lugaw. We still continue po katulad ng ginagawa din po ni VP Leni (like what VP Leni is doing),” he said.
The term lugaw has been used derogatorily against Robredo since 2016 when her volunteers sold rice porridge to raise funds for her vice-presidential candidacy.
READ: Spicy porridge fit for ‘Lugaw Queen’ Robredo
Since then, the Vice President has embraced the insult and was even seen serving the traditional Filipino comfort food on many occasions.
“Iyong kabutihan nitong eleksyon na ito, kasi parang naging symbolic siya—naging symbolic siya sa compassion, naging symbolic siya sa pagbabayanihan, naging symbolic siya sa pagkakaisa hindi lang ng supporters pero ng community talaga (What’s great with this election, it has become symbolic for compassion, community spirit, and unity not only to supporters, but also to the community),” she said.