Filipinos Complaining About Increasing Costs of Necessities While Living an Extravagant Life?

With Christmas just being around the corner--I always associate it with paying some year-end fees (such as real estate taxes), computing the year-end financial statement, and the like. However, it can be observed that some people have a mentality akin to Tomas Mascardo. If you've seen the Heneral Luna movie--one scene has Mascardo leaving his post to attend a town feast. Historian Ambeth Ocampo wrote this in Inquirer about Mascardo:

By the end of April 1899, the enemy was moving steadily northward from Manila in hot pursuit of Emilio Aguinaldo and the Malolos government. Luna, who was then chief commanding general of Central Luzon, ordered all his commanders to be ready at their stations and await instructions from his headquarters in Calumpit. During a particularly trying period, Luna was informed that General Mascardo had disobeyed Luna’s orders by leaving his headquarters in Guagua to attend a fiesta in Arayat.

Historians differ on the reason for Mascardo’s trip: One source says he was attending a fiesta, another says he was bathing, and yet another says he was courting a beautiful lady in whom Luna was also interested. Whatever the reason, Luna dispatched a telegram ordering Mascardo to return to his headquarters in Guagua immediately; he also reprimanded Mascardo for leaving Guagua without permission.

Mascardo may be long gone but his attitude is still prevalent among Filipinos. I'm no historian myself either. What I want to stress is that whatever reason Mascardo had--he should have never left Guagua without permission! Unfortunately, some people follow Mascardo's mentality with their finances. I even wonder if Mascardo had a habit of complaining about the cost of needs but never about the cost of wants.

It's typical for people to complain about the rising prices of commodities. We must realize that everything is at a supply and demand scale. No amount of insults done against economists will ever change the laws of supply and demand (read here). One can call demeaning names to economists but we can never change the laws of supply and demand. The irony is that while complaining about the increasing prices of necessities--they're actually spending on branded goods! 

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A good example is the Filipino obsession with the iPhone (read here). If the prices of goods and services have increased--why line up for a brand-new iPhone? That's why I even ask if anti-economic reform proponents were forced to buy their branded goods (read here). They had all the market freedom to choose substitutes. Why get an iPhone when you can get a Samsung, a Xiaomi, or any smartphone for a much lower cost? It should be considered idiotic to complain about the increasing prices of goods and services--if you're up for an iPhone that falls under a want. The iPhone is just a want and a smartphone is a need. If they need a smartphone--why go for an iPhone when there are still quality ones? Is it just for the sake of looking good?

That's why there's this statement, "Don't go broke trying to look rich." People may be driving BMWs but they're actually Broke Without Money. They may carry an iPhone to make everyone jealous but they have no ipon (savings). They may even be partying (which may cost higher) while complaining at that same party, about the increasing costs of goods and services. Shouldn't the increasing cost of goods and services remind you, "Oops! Sorry! You need to change your lifestyle!"?