Ode on Lugaw

Lugaw is the Philippines’ generic term for soupy boiled rice. It is our version of: gruel, porridge, bubur, or congee. It belongs to the family of thick broth, which we usually serve to sick loved ones in bed—like a healing potion.  

Considered to be a poor man’s dish in the old days, lugaw in recent years has been elevated to real food as classy restaurants now serve their fusion version of it.  

We have other nicknames for lugaw: champorado (flavored with chocolate), goto (with innards and tripe), and arroz caldo (with chicken meat). 

Arroz caldo has a special place in my heart . . . 

Before my eldest son was born, I never experienced a traditional noche buena (midnight dinner on Christmas eve). Growing up, I would attend with family the Christmas vesper service, after which, the youth group would come to our house for a fellowship: Christmas carols, games, yummy arroz caldo prepared by Manang Ibay (our longtime househelp), ending with a thanksgiving prayer. Everything was over by 9:00 PM, and we would all retire to bed.

Years later, now with a family of my own, Tony and I would create traditions for our kids—noche buena is one of them.

In the last five years, lugaw has become a derogatory tag for Vice President Leni Roberto (a vocal critic of lapses in governance) hurled by die-hard fans of President Duterte. Lugaw Leni meant: lightweight, brainless, and spineless.

Uncowed, VP Leni, in partnership with the private sector, has continued actively helping with calamity and pandemic problems: ride for frontliners, swab tests, donation of PPEs, food packs, plus more. She never took issue with the monicker; instead, she claimed it with good humor.  

One day last month, a lugaw delivery boy was prohibited by a Barangay official to enter a village because of safety protocols. She said, “Lugaw is not essential food,” and read a list without lugaw. 

This incident caused a great furor among netizens; the tragic incident has gone viral, prompting the presidential spokesperson to announce that “Lugaw is essential food.” 

That turned the tide for lugaw. 

Thousands of communications content—hashtags, messages, comments, and editorials—picked up the line, “Lugaw is essential.”

In fact, VP Leni’s 56th birthday was dubbed by her supporters as National Lugaw Day, serving lugaw to poor communities. Photos of lugaw cooked in many homes populated social media.  

All this celebratory lugaw hoo-ha makes me hark back to my growing up years when arroz caldo was our special food to celebrate the symbolic birth of our Savior. 

Long before lugaw was officially declared essential by the government, it has always been essential for me.