DURING THE mid-70s until the late 80s, there were two major events in my hometown Macabebe that I always looked forward to watching – the Good Friday procession during the Holy Week and the Grand Maharajah Ball in December. In addition to the religious and cultural experience of the former and the socio-historical significance of the latter, the two activities provided a glimpse of my town mates who occupy the upper strata of the social divide – the alta sociedad whom we fondly call the “alta” or the “AS.”
Well, I was just in my early teens and had a very simplistic view of life. Seeing our town’s elite families during those rare occasions was already a visual treat for me. My friends and I enjoyed looking at the “parade” of our town’s old rich who, without even trying, exuded class and sophistication. At the same time, we would wait for the dramatic entrance of the nouveau riche who were literally and figuratively screaming for attention.
To me, it was a study in contrast. During the procession, the old rich were clad in jeans and black shirts with the tiniest of bling, and trailed the family-owned carroza carrying their heirloom life-size images. On the other hand, the new rich would be dressed to the nines, heavily made-up and accessorized, and ready for ballroom dancing. My kibitzer friends would then quietly quip, “Ay, miparanun ya ing dara yu keng Maharajah. Nukarin ya ing DI (dance instructor) na?”
During the glorious years of the Maharajah Ball, our town plaza teemed with onlookers waiting for the arrival of the officers and their spouses, along with a variety of VIP’s, guests and some town mates now based in other provinces or countries. It was very easy to distinguish the true AS from the feeling AS. The former exemplify less is more; and the latter believe that more is more. Nah, let me correct that. To the “feeling alta,” sometimes more is not even enough. I call it the deliberate and ostentatious display of wealth at every single opportunity they find. As the old folks would say; “Balu meng balu ing dating ali mag-tingga. Potang menyulud ne, kiling ya buntuk.”
This reminds me of a senatorial wife and public servant whose post went viral for all the wrong reasons. At the height of the pandemic in July 2020, she posted a picture of her Hermes and Louis Vuitton bicycles. This sparked a heated debate on social media with some netizens calling her out for her insensitivity. Others were quick to her defense saying that it was her money anyway, and therefore she can buy and post whatever she wants.
For the record I honestly believe that every person who has worked hard to make it has every right to enjoy the fruits of his or her success. Let us not deprive them of their need to validate themselves with a display of what they have achieved in life, whether it is purchase of properties and luxury items, frequent travels, or newly-acquired fashion sense. But with the finer things in life comes a deeper understanding of your new status and lifestyle and remaining true to your core.
I think this is where the chaff is separated from the grain. More than the fashion sense, it is really the attitude that really sets the true from the feeling AS. The true AS find joy in their anonymity especially when supporting and donating to a cause; the feeling AS want public recognition and admiration. I couldn’t agree more with my very good friend Izza Jaye, a fashion designer based in New York, when she explained that one can never buy class because it is innate; you either have it or you don’t. That simple!
If there is no way you can’t buy class, then you can at least continue being a good person – someone whose values remain intact even after you have moved up the ladder of success. You can continue inspiring others to work hard in chasing their dreams by displaying what you have achieved but remain sensitive to the plight of the people around you. The wealth and success you have acquired does not change you; rather, you change for the better because you are now in a better position to understand fully what it means to have nothing and to have almost everything in life now.
