Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 31) — Case closed. Lugaw is an essential good, according to Malacañang.
The Palace issued the statement Wednesday, clarifying all food items are a necessity and food delivery services should be allowed at all hours even in areas under strict lockdown.
“Lugaw, or any food item for that matter, is considered an essential good. Delivery of food items must remain unhampered 24/7. Huwag natin harangin sa checkpoints [Let us not block them at checkpoints],” the statement read.
The clarification was prompted by a viral video of a Grab rider being prohibited from delivering lugaw or porridge during curfew hours, with a barangay personnel insisting that it is “non-essential.”
“Essential po ba si lugaw? Hindi, kasi mabubuhay ang tao ng walang lugaw [Is porridge essential? No, because people can live without it],” the barangay personnel said despite objections from the rider. The 35-minute video was aired live on Facebook by a Marvin Ignacio.
The delivery rider could also be heard saying their services are in compliance with the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force rules, but to no avail. The clip caught the internet’s attention, with #LugawIsEssential landing a trending spot on Twitter.
Under IATF rules, food deliveries are allowed in areas under enhanced community quarantine, such as Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.
