“LUGAW” is what makes Leni Robredo’s campaign come across as ELITIST

C’mon, you really think making lugaw (glutinous rice gruel or porridge) a pillar of your political brand will make you come across as makamasa (for the masses)? Think again. Feeding lugaw to “the poor” only goes further to reinforce the patronising manner with which the Philippines’ upper classes regard the masses. Presidential candidate Leni Robredo’s lugaw campaign is just as patronising as her pal Mar Roxas’s was back during his own bid for the presidency.

A recent photo featuring essential ingredients for cooking lugaw packaged into campaign paraphernalia for Robredo’s campaign is being passed around on social media and attracting ridicule.

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The photos only served to further highlight the impoverished notions of nutrition that likely date back to the end of World War II. That they haven’t changed much in 75 years is telling enough. That Robredo’s campaign contributes to its persistence is downright disturbing. It’s as if Robredo is telling Filipinos, lugaw is your saviour and we are here to serve you some.

This is perhaps the reason why Robredo serves this impoverished meal with a smile.

What kind of message does feeding lugaw to people who, on many occasions, very likely don’t have much else in the way of other options available to fill their stomachs? For most members of Robredo’s campaign team, lugaw is a mere tool for signalling their temporary solidarity with a community whose votes they desperately seek to attract. But like the way lugaw is rapidly-digested and, as such, does not alleviate hunger for long, Robredo’s campaign is a hollow and dishonest distraction that creates only an illusory feeling of hope that just as rapidly fades when the circus leaves town.

62 Replies to ““LUGAW” is what makes Leni Robredo’s campaign come across as ELITIST”

  1. the whole lugaw matter is an apt symbol for two things our Kakampinks really stand for: elitism and mediocrity.

    Her (elite, mainly upper-class) volunteers could have provided more rice and some other foodstuff to bulk up their giveaways, but NO – lugaw, and a very shallow porridge spiced with a bit of egg and fish sauce, is the only thing they deem appropriate to give to their so-called “laylayan”. In their subconscious view, the poor do not even deserve a bit of fish or meat, only subsistence rations.

    Ultimately, most of the mediocre Kakampink messaging does not involve lifting the people out of their squalor or making their lives easier. It merely involves making their candidate lead, hence Let Leni Lead.

    After we make her lead, then what? No plans for extending prosperity to the peripheries, no talk of economic reforms, no nothing. Her bourgeois cohorts seem content with letting her lead a country muddling along the edges of the modern world, an impoverished, backward, yet harmonious society with the Kakampinks in Manila lording it over. Presumably eating crepes at Cafe Breton while the laylayan make do with lugaw.

  2. Again, do I feel nervousness on the part of some anti-Robredo here because she distributed ‘lugaw’ to the masa? What’s wrong in giving which was really the message of what she did in distributing porridge to the people? Are you afraid that Leni’s act of giving ‘lugaw’ might win her via landslide? Susmaryosep!

    My gosh, people, can’t you criticize the other side with some substance, at least? You can attack her on areas where you can point out why she’s wrong or have no knowledge of or incapable of doing a task. But attack her simply because she was sharing or giving?

    Here, if the ‘lugaw’ she’s distributing caused diarrhea, attack her. If she makes those people pay for her ‘lugaw’, attack her. If she promised ‘lugaw’ but no delivery was made attack her. If the ‘lugaw’ was no good, unpalatable, attack her. If her ‘lugaw’ is fake, attack her.

    You see, you can attack her in a lot of ways but never in the act of giving. ??‍?

    1. That’s a very long way to write “aT LeAsT tUmULoNg sILa”, thinly disguised lawyer for Leni. I won’t be surprised if you must be one of those people who were screaming “tumulong ka na lang” at those who criticized Noynoy’s Yolanda response.

      1. You’re way off, buddy! I said ‘sharing and giving’, no “tumulong” or whatever. Like I said, if we criticize, we should do it with common sense because if you do that you score valuable points. If you just attack because you just felt like it, it’s a waste. I’m sure Leni has weaknesses, faults and imperfections you can capitalize on to strike and ambush her. Giving and sharing, unfortunately, is not one of them.

        You attack her because she shares or gives, you make her strong and steady. In short, you are creating your own problem. ?

        1. Not exactly getting stronger there – when her supporters pull her down with moronic buffoonery or foisting her as the banner under which they unleash classist elitism. ?

    2. If you gonna give, give ham, or sausages, or chicken nuggets..stop insulting the poor with your lugaw,and your self satisfied condescending smiles.

        1. Because you cant realistically feed every hungry person.so giving food?thats all gimmick, a PR trick..if youre into these gimmicks, then at least give REAL food..and no pictures

        2. Leni gave and fed a lot of people in those sorties she had. Lugaw is real food. The question for you Megget is, what is your idol giving to the poor? Leni distributed lugaw, so, what’s the other presidentiables are doing? Are they also giving food like ham or sausages? If they are not giving food, like lugaw, then they are not doing anything. So, now, who gets the point those who gave and fed or those who did nothing?

          The answer is easy, it’s Leni! ☕️

  3. Leni, kung sana inasikaso ng mga kasama mo sa pulitika ang agrikultura, sa panahon na sila ang nasa kapangyarihan, lahat sana makakakain ng lugaw at higit pa.

  4. Unfortunately for Leni, the Empire Strikes Back with Christmas special “Puto Bumbong”.

    Sticking with the Lugaw stunt, Leni is probably banking on some Yellow superstitious logic that filly those empty stomachs with sticky-rice-based porridge will somehow make the Leni brand name stick in these poor folk’s memory on election day. Good luck.

  5. Giving away lugaw is very wrong, an insult, even..when the poor have nothing to eat, they make do with lugaw and a bit of salt..lugaw is a reminder of hunger and poverty..why would you do that?better give rice, and noodles, and sardines, and chicken.real, palatable food.

    1. “Giving away lugaw is very wrong, an insult…”

      Umm, I don’t think so. Nobody among those given ‘lugaw’ said it was wrong. They’re even happy and smiling while eating. What’s insulting is those who cannot even give a lugaw to the less fortunate.

      Megget, how ‘bout a soup kitchen from you? ?

      1. I dont believe in feeding the poor, thats mendicancy.i build jobs.i hire people, those who are willing to work hard.no free handouts.

        1. “I dont believe in feeding the poor…” – Megget
          —–
          Now we know what’s in your heart. You despise the poor because you see them as not worthy of you. You’re the opposite of Leni Robredo. She understand the poor and appreciate them, while you ignore and disregard them.

        2. “Understand the poor my ass, insincere leni is tricking for votes, thats all there is to it.”
          —–
          She gave lugaw and she was tricking for votes? But a couple of posts ago you bragged about Pacquaio giving cash to people just to vote for him. And you don’t call that tricking? Megget, your ass is showing! ?

    2. True. Lugaw is symbolic of providing just the bare minimum to survive. Poverty is a mindset; why not elevate the poor instead by encouraging them to pursue loftier things with a touch of class? Like giving away Udemy programming courses to 10 lucky poor kids – will that not even inspire the rest to follow suit?

      Sheer lack of creativity is what’s eating away Yellow-Pink political capital. Leni is just repeating the laughable pathetic pro-poor stunts Mar did to end his political career. Of course they won’t even hear of the suggestion given here since they are locked away in their own mini echo chambers. The exit door is wide open, yet they choose not to go out.

      1. >Lugaw is symbolic of providing just the bare minimum to survive
        You’ve put it better than me. Besides sick people, who do we feed porridge to? Poor people are not stupid, passive recipients of aid, as some people might want to believe. They know the meaning of being given lugaw.

        >Sheer lack of creativity is what’s eating away Yellow-Pink political capital
        Normally I would think otherwise, since they think they are much more educated (and creative) than you and I. But this is the second time their strategies have exposed their candidate to derision and criticism, so right now I have my doubts.

      2. Giving away Udemy courses to poor kids??

        Kids learn through structure and understanding. Giving poor kids a virual class with no structure in a language they dont understand will do nothing.

        If any of these candidates cared about the country they would spend money creating schools instead of buying food for poor people or giving away money.

        But these candidates are clowns, and get real philippines likes to point out how only one is a clown and fails to mention the weak results of all the other candidates

        1. Creating schools without proper educators and a strong standardized curriculum especially for STEM, is a waste of rebar and cement..ive seen these textbooks, most of which are utter rubbish..with books like these, who needs schools?

        2. If these textbooks are all we go to school for, we’re better off just letting our children stay at home and fiddle in their pants.

  6. Now, if their problem is budget, then dont give, if youre just going to give lugaw..theres the dswd for dealing with the hungry, please keep your lugaw to yourself.

  7. Leni’s act of giving ‘lugaw’ symbolizes nothing except that, give. If one sees anything derogatory in giving or sharing it’s because it’s the campaign season. Everything is being look at with politics in mind.

    Since Leni did something akin to a humanitarian act her opponents are trying to imply something sinister to it by making up stories to make her look bad in the eyes of the voters. As an independent observer, I think it’s too late to do that. Leni already scored points in that effort of giving and sharing lugaw to the people.

    As they say in Tutuban, stop whining, the train has already left the station and the points were delivered on Leni’s wagon. ???

    1. The points, delivered to the other wagon..what a dumbass, jesus h. christ you delusional yellowtards cant get the point, hence DOOMED..better go back to your soup kitchens, and keep feeding these grown ass freeloaders..coz you aint winning real votes with these antics

      1. You really hate the poor, my friend. ?

        Anyway, like the spirit shown by Leni, the spirit of giving, let me wish you a very early Merry Christmas! ?

    2. Suggesting that there is something “sinister” behind Leni’s “lugaw” campaign would be giving her and her campaign team of morons too much credit. There is actually really nothing contrived or planned about her PR stunts — as in no underlying strategic intent nor ideological framework to it. They are just random flailings of a desperate campaign effort.

      1. There is something there, benigno, that’s is why some posters here expressed indignation because they felt that Leni scored big time on that ‘lugaw’ stunt she did. There’s no random in it because I think, again, I think her camp is making every effort to make her campaign an effective one by being aggressive on every ads they make.

        I agree with you on the TikTok video but those public appearances she’s making where she’s shown to be just like an ordinary mother enjoying what the youth enjoys is registering heavily to the masses. I tell you, if the other contenders don’t move fast or make adjustments, Leni might leapfrog them to the finish line.

      2. Then again, consider that BBM had sustained his popularity for years while Robredo who’s had five years doing the same Mommy act hasn’t progressed much. Doing more of the same and expecting different results? Recipe for failure right there.

  8. manny pac is tricking, but hes getting far more votes coz being from the steeets, he knows how to do it proper..a politician should never give lugaw to poor people they will despise you for it..its like giving 10centavos to a beggar.IDIOTS.

    1. “manny pac is tricking, but he’s getting far more votes…”
      ——
      Not yet, my friend. Remember, the elections will be held next year. Any votes counted by now are throw away votes. In the meantime, you are right, Manny is tricking.

      1. Manny is tricking but hes doing it right..he keeps a straight face, and has the recent memory of crushing poverty in his emotional bag of tricks..lenny, dumber than rocks, looks like she doesnt even want to be there..giving lugaw is utterly insulting.
        idiots.

        1. “Manny is tricking…” – Megget
          —–
          Tricking is tricking, my friend and I’m glad you admitted it.

          “lenny, dumber than rocks, looks like she doesnt even want to be there..”- – Megget
          —–
          That’s how you see it but she’s all in in there. In fact, she gave the go signal to do it because she loves giving and sharing. Especially, this time of the season.

          How’s the soup kitchen, my friend? ?

  9. Giving lugaw and in front of the freaking cameras.thats poverty porn and a total dick move.cut the bull sh*t, you are the ones who hate the poor.

        1. I don’t give soup to poor people. I don’t want to engage in your poverty porn activity.

          Megget, who do you think makes a good promo ad than Leni? I don’t see any Bongbong ads nor Pacquiao. They are way behind Leni when it comes to campaign materials. ?

      1. if young people in porn is called barely legal, would a hot steaming newly cooked lugaw be called BARELY LUGAW?

  10. Leni give soup.
    thats her campaign right there.thats the shittiest campaign i have ever seen.

    Compare that to duterte hate drugs, kill all.

    1. What’s wrong in giving soup? People are happy, contented and satisfied because they were able to eat something from the courtesy of Leni. Other candidates don’t do that and according to you, Pacquiao gives money but he was tricking them.

      1. Meg’s, let me paraphrase what you wrote with a touch of prediction

        Leni give soup – win
        Isko smile, say sh*t – jologs lost
        Lacson look serious – because he lost
        Manny give cash – lost a lot of cash
        Bongbong philippines great again – great in losing
        ?????
        Merry X’mas my friend!!!

    1. Another riddle solved.

      Go to rally – of Leni
      Get some money – from Pacquaio
      Leni talk talk talk – you listen, listen, listen
      No money, only soup – tsalap, tsalap!
      Soup shitty! – says Manny
      Leni shitty! – says Ping
      Bbm vote – for Leni

      ?????!

      1. as ive said, sock em with their own b0b0 logic. lol.
        anti-leni: you are all goind to the shit bowl.
        me: yeah, to clean up the shit like you.
        anti-leni: you are the flies that stick to the shit.
        me: well flies can soar high, you shit stick and clog the shit bowl.

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