An appeal to Cebu's ‘Old Guard’

At the risk of sounding like an elitist snob, I pose some questions and make an earnest appeal to concerned members of Cebu's Old Guard. What people have been wondering about and whispering about in gatherings deserves to be said out loud.

And this is only for those who belong to the so-called 'Old Guard'—members of families whose enterprise, estates, prominence are, at the very least, 3 generations old. And among them, more particularly, only those involved vis-à-vis the following. 

I'm all for change—change is good, but there are things that ought to stay the same. The Old Guard has a duty to guard (as their name suggests) against the complete decimation of what little remains of a bygone era of peerage, gentry, and pioneering industry and innovation. This is part of the heritage and tradition we celebrate, commemorate, and take pride in. Either that, or we can always choose to enforce egalitarianism—unadulterated equality and do away with this caste system, narrow and backwards (although, even in the most egalitarian of societies, the existence and influence of social order is not at all diminished; perhaps such is human nature). And there is no middle ground here, either you preserve or you do away with it. If we choose preservation, note that preservation and pollution are two completely opposing activities.

The issue here is the danger in legitimizing the existence of a deadly strain of the arriviste. We do not take a sweeping swipe as many of Cebu's women who've married above their station are inherently classy, having made their ascent effortlessly, without any hint of difficulty, and always with grace and humility. And so we love and embrace them. Conversely, there are also those from the most established families who display an utter lack of finesse and civility. Therefore, either way, we do not generalize. 

Nothing is wrong with success and moving upward; after all, social mobility has somehow characterized this dotcom age.

But again, there is this deadly strain that I am sure you yourselves have observed, or worse, encountered if you happen to inhabit or occasionally visit this special and strange ecosystem called Cebu Society. So what, may I ask, is the rationale behind this oddity of bringing into the fold crass creatures, garish caricatures that indubitably give Cebu Society a bad name? I can think of three possible reasons.

1) Is it a charity case? I mean, do these legit society matrons see this as some noble philanthropic pursuit, a twisted cause to somehow pay it forward and educate these struggling wannabe “socialites,” evidently rough around the edges (or more precisely, rough to the core), in the ways of refinement?

Society 101 should teach them not to flagrantly brandish their newfound fortunes for the entire world to see, to be rubbing it in people's faces, especially when their tongues and tenses so easily betray their true provenance. Alas, poverty is there, it's inextricably there; and I do not mean the poverty of money they've left behind…but the poverty of taste, of decorum, of propriety. 

2) Or is it because these upstarts are more liquid and so the relationship has become, to an extent, symbiotic? Good grief. In such case, the tables are turned—the more established one may ultimately be seen as the—wait for it—'social climber.' I shudder at the mere thought that this is the best Cebu has to offer. Que horror.

In my book, any self-respecting person with even a spec of dignity will neither bow nor cower in the face of new money. How painfully cheap. I would rather die than trade my values, my heritage, my identity for whatever they may have to offer.

3) Or are they simply part of one's entourage, alalays, mga alipores? Surely there is a higher standard than simply living in Maria Luisa or having money. Money as a lone standard is cheap. Heritage is king.

At any rate, I suggest, nay, I appeal, for some sense of accountability and responsibility in the face of all these strangely welcome intrusions. To whom much is given, much is expected. Freedom is yours, of course, to bring whomever you wish to any party or event, or series of parties or events, but please, if the trial period results in what is palpably a failed social experiment, policing one's own ranks is imperative. It is one's moral obligation. Nip things in the bud. Clip their wings. You get the picture.

Remember Dr. Frankenstein's monster? Some of you, perhaps starting with the best of intentions, have actually created monsters. In history, many Kings and presidents have fallen because of the people who surround them… so ask, are your minions an asset or are they a liability? Note that these individuals often come across as crude and acerbic, wittingly or unwittingly spewing insults toward those whose genealogy they obviously do not know. Do they give you a good name, do they add to your prestige, or do they weigh you down? If the answer is clear, perchance, 'tis time to weed out what is unnecessary, especially when they are traced back to you and their actions reflect poorly on you. Like they say, it's better to be alone than to be in bad company, and that is because, oftentimes, we are judged by the company we keep.

There is world hunger, disease, strife, reform of our bureaucracy, education, and other matters of consequence for us to worry about… I hate that we have to talk about this superficiality simply because, in our spare time, in times when we take a break from trying to pitch in, we have to contend with these unseemly characters. Many of these events have since been hijacked, infected, polluted by the presence of this pestering strain of parvenus.

Friends, relatives, acquaintances, when pets become pests, put them to sleep. I implore you, do this earth a favor, let them crawl back into the dark pit from whence they came.