It is a memory of a year when the whole country was a dry lumpia, and hope was the vinegar—sharp, cheap, and necessary.

But now you do.

Thus, the phrase might be a metaphor for the failed promises of 1987: The revolution promised water, but the people got vinegar. The most compelling origin of "diligin ng suka ang uhaw na lumpia -1987-" points to an unproduced screenplay by the maverick filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik.

The theme was: "Ang Pag-ibig sa Panahon ng Kahirapan" (Love in Times of Hardship).

By: R. Cruz, Archivist of Obscure Nostalgia

Lumpiang ubod (heart of palm spring roll) is naturally sweet and juicy. But a stale, day-old lumpia (the "uhaw" or thirsty lumpia) is dry, chewy, and sad. The traditional dipping sauce is a sweet, garlicky sarsa . However, in the economically desperate summer of 1987 (an El Niño year), sugar was expensive.

But why "water" a lumpia with vinegar?

Resourceful eaters discovered that pouring sinamak (spiced vinegar) directly onto a dry lumpia revived it. The acid broke down the hardened wrapper, and the spice gave the illusion of freshness.