real money, real people

For a few years that I worked in Makati (98 to 01), marami akong office mates na mga rich kids talaga, mostly eh mga chinoy who are either Atenista or La Sallista. Mga bagets who were born to priviledge, born with a silver platter sabi nga.

One of them has a building along Vito Cruz owned by the family who is into printing business. Yong isa who graduated from La Salle had her master’s degree in one of the better universities in London (her mom just bought two units in Manhattan, a prime condo unit just across Citibank Towers, each unit costing 9M pesos huh!!!). The other guy, who, like the others is fresh from school, is already living in his own condo unit in Pasig. And so on and so forth.

In short, mga middle to upper-middle class na mga nilalang. Mga may pera talaga. Yong mga tipong milyones ang worth ng bahay na may swimming pool pa. May isang batalyon ng household helps. At pwedeng pumili ng kotseng gagamitin for a particular day because, unlike the rest of the masang pilipino, they have more than 1 car (or most likely a fleet of cars) sa garahe nila.

You must say it is intimidating to work with these kids. Puro fresh grads pa. But fortunately, they are not spoiled brats like most rich kids. In fact, all of them were so humble and grounded hindi mo mahahalata na may pera.

Simple ang ayos, ang damit. And unless na titigan mo ang tatak ng jeans or dukutin mo at pakialaman yong label ng shirt na suot, hindi mo malalamang european brands pala na talagang mamahalin. Marks & Spencer? Nope. Try JPG (Gaultier) or Versace (the real thing huh!).

They were so plain and simple. The girls don’t wear much make-up. Dahil they’ve got the ultimate accessory – flawless complexion na alam mong hindi nabibilad sa araw or nadidikitan ng alikabok all their lives. In their simplicity, ihalo mo sila sa tulad kong galing Saudi na naka-Ray Ban at naka-cel phone ng latest (that time it was Motorola V368), sila ang mukhang mga walang pera.

But whatever simplicity they seem to have adapted, hindi mo pwedeng itago ang kinang ng totoong pera.

They talk well - diretsong ingles kung kailangan and a very seamless taglish in normal conversation. And the breeding – kitang-kita mo ang refinement ng personality who grew up in proper behavior and decorum. Pati ang mga utak, they think more progressively – puro mga growth oriented. Puro may mga plano sa buhay – short and long term plans.

And because of that, iba ang dating ng personality nila. So composed, so assured. With much confidence. Something that can only be achieved by somebody who had less worries during their formative years. Alam mong hindi namroblema sa pambili ng lapis at papel noong elementary. Or hindi nakaranas magbaon ng pritong tuyo at kanin sa school, or maglakad mula Apacible papuntang Intramuros para lang makapasok sa college.

They were deprived while growing up. Oo, deprived. Deprived of all the worry, humiliation, embarassment, problems, frustrations and everything else that comes from not having money. Deprived of the opportunities to cry in desperation and uncertainty that hits the common Pinoy every single minute of their lives. Lalo na pag kumakalam na ang mga sikmura.

Something these kids must have never experienced in any single day of their lives. Siguro ni hindi nila naranasan maubusan ng pagkain sa kitchen nila. I’m sure hindi nila naranasan magsuot ng mga hand-me-downs, lalo na yong mga binili sa ukay-ukay na favorite ng nanay ko noong bata pa ako. At siguro, ni hindi nila naramdaman mag-worry dahil naubusan sila ng pera sa wallet. Dahil siguradong kahit walang pera sa wallet, madaling tumakbo ng ATM or gamitin ang mga Diner’s at American Express cards nila.

In fact, siguro allowance lang nila yong sinusweldo nila sa office work namin. But they worked just as hard as anybody. Not because they need the money. But they were working towards a goal.

They know they were just passing through the first steps. But climbing up the corporate ladder, making it big later is actually what they are working for. Hindi para don sa sweldo. But a bigger, loftier goal a few years down the road. Again, because they were progress-oriented individuals.

Hindi lang don kaya humanga ako sa mga batang ito.

Moreso, they gave me the respect I deserve. Imagine we’re talking of two gaps here – age gap and of course the socio-cultural gap. But they did welcome me to their “social circle” without any prejudice. I was treated no differently. Until naging close barkada kami. Until such point that I get invited to their weddings, funerals of their parents, binyag ng anak – I was even a ninong for one of the guy’s first baby!

Walang barriers. Yon nga lang, after work, pag uwian na, magka-kanya-kanya na ng sasakyan sa parking lot ng office namin. That’s where the great divide comes down kahit ano pang sabihin mong kasimplehan nila at kabaitan nila, at the end of the day, they are driving a CRV and you’re not.

But still, nagpapasalamat pa rin ako for having experienced working and getting to know these people. Because they did show me that money, even if you were born into it, is not bad. It is people who make themselves evil and only blames it on the money. Kaya ako, I don’t mind having millions later. Pag nanalo ako sa lotto ng 48 million pesos, I will still be the same happy, easy-going person. I will be as humble, simple and as approachable as I can be. Depende na lang sa mga bodyguards ko kung makakalapit ka! Hahahaha!!!!