Business & Finance

Beverly Aquino, "Lugaw Queen" of San Pablo, Laguna| Earns Php50,000 a day

My late dad once told me, "Parang tubong lugaw lang ang kita ko sa negosyo noon." My father didn't have a lugaw business so I was a bit puzzled why he said that to me.

While browsing my Facebook news feeds, I saw a post saying "Lugaw Queen" from San Pablo, Laguna earns Php50,000 a day". When I clicked the post it redirected me to ABS-CBN news article.

I really like the story of Beverly Aquino, Lugaw Queen of San Pablo city, because it reminds me of my dad who was a hardworking businessman. Unlike Beverly, my dad was not able to maintain his business because he was hit by a 3rd degree ulcer. He was too focused in his business to the extent of not taking a single meal in a day.

Anyways, on ABS-CBN's "My Puhunan", Beverly Aquino, owner of "Lugaw Queen", related to Karen Davila how she started Lugaw Queen back in 2007. She only had Php1,100 as a starting capital -- money that she was supposed to use to pay for her family's electric bills.

Starting up a business is not easy but Aquino had a plan and a secret recipe that she and her mother came up with.

"Umisip kami ng mga sangkap na ihahalo namin sa lugaw. Kasi bago ka magpalaki ng business, kailangan mayroon kang secret na sangkap," explained Aquino.

And from then on, after serving their first bowl of lugaw for P10, Lugaw Queen never looked back. "The first day bumenta lang kami ng P1,300. And then nung sumunod na araw na-doble, naging P2,400....Nung nag P10,000 na a day, hindi na ako makapaniwala," Aquino exclaimed.

After three months, she rented a small kiosk with just three chairs for her customers in San Pablo, Laguna. In just a year, they managed to open 12 branches all over Luzon. Even Aquino is surprised at how much the branches make in a day just from selling bowls of lugaw. 

Now, Lugaw Queen sells as much as Php50,000 worth of lugaw every day. Now, I understand what my father meant when he said "parang tubong lugaw lang".

Aquino is overwhelmed by Lugaw Queen's success, especially considering that she was born into poverty. With the money she earned from selling bowls of lugaw, the lugaw queen already has a two-storey rest house in San Pablo and a land in Nuvali, Laguna where they're currently building their dream home.

Beverly felt that the hard times she experienced in high school prepared her for the harsh realities of life.

The Lugaw Queen confessed to Karen, "Way back then, we used to rent a house with no comfort room and no kitchen." According to her husband, Sherwin Aquino, back in high school, his wife even went to school without money for lunch.

"Kailangan kong magtipid ng baon ko kasi hindi lang para sa akin eh. Hati kami doon sa baon na gagastusin ko," Sherwin said. - Courtesy of ABS-CBN news

My Puhunan features Filipinos who strive hard to become successful in their own little ways. Recently, they also featured a garbage collector who became a millionaire after a decade of perserverance and hard work.