Rica Peralejo reiterates stand on luxury brands: "They build their brands to make the social inequalities more pronounced and enhance the envy in people’s hearts."

March 22, 2023

Photos: @ricaperalejo

“Just the fact that we call this ‘status symbol’ means there is a status ladder. “Ang prayer ko lagi is mabasag na ang mindset na need natin ‘yung ladder na ‘yun to begin with. Cause it only measures material wealth. Telling you who is rich and who is not. And I hope people don’t buy into the thinking that we need to be rich to have a good life.”—Rica Peralejo

Noong taong 2021 pa pala pinag-uusapan si Rica Peralejo dahil sa pagiging vocal niya tungkol sa mga luxury items, kabilang na ang mga branded bags.

Nilinaw niyang hindi siya mahilig sa mga ito. In fact, ibinenta na nga raw niya ang ilang luxury items na meron siya noong nagso-showbiz pa siya. Pero idiniin niyang hindi rin naman siya sumusuporta sa mga fake na branded items.

Nitong January 3, muling nag-post nang sunod-sunod na mensahe si Rica tungkol dito sa kanyang Instagram stories.

Doon ay deretsahan niyang sinabi kung bakit “she’s not into it.” At hindi naman daw niya pinipilit ang lahat na makinig o pumanig sa kanya.

Sa paniniwala niya, ang mga luxury items ay sumisimbolo sa inequalities sa mga tao.

“So many reacted to my take on luxury items,” panimula niya.

“I have said this before: The heart of luxury items is to make everyone feel that only a handful can have them. It thrives on making us feel either special at the expense of others feeling lack.”

Aniya, pakana lamang ito ng mga marketers behind those brands na target talagang kilitiin ang envious nature ng bawa’t tao.

“That is the truth behind these brands. They build their brands to make the social inequalities more pronounced and enhance the envy in people’s hearts.

“Are they well made? Sure! But are so many other things but never price and market themselves as only-us-few-can-have-it.”

Inamin din ni Rica na gaya ng ibang nagtitipid, bumibili rin siya sa mga ukay-ukay. At masaya siya umano siya kapag nakakahanap ng mga items na alam niyang mahal talaga—pero nabibili ng mura niya sa ukay.

“Any told me about ukay luxury,” patuloy niya sa ikatlong post. “Yeah I find that fun! I actually find it thrilling when I find stuff brands sell for a fortune end up in ukays and everyone gets to wear what the few think only they could wear.

“The only thing I’d look at first tho is: what’s the heart? Is it to pass the self off as ‘one of the’ or is it to say ‘look at how much I got what you’d pay a fortune for?’

“Because the latter is making a commentary. The former is former is furthering by being complicit to that system.”

Hindi raw siya namimilit ng sasama sa kaniyang paniwalang ito. Pero wag naman daw sana siyang awayin ng mga ayaw sa kanyang pananaw. Hindi umano kailangang magtalo-talo.

“Pasensya na lang if may tamaan,” patuloy niya. “Hindi niyo naman kailangang maniwala sa akin.
“Sabi ko nga, madami akong sinasabi, pwede kayong hindi makinig.

“If you believe otherwise, sure. This is my position, that is yours, no need to fight.”

Si Rica ay masasabing semi-retired na sa showbiz. Matagal na siyang hindi umaarte sa harap ng camera. Mas focused niya ang kanyang asawa at dalawang anak, bukod sa sarili niyang vlogs at podcast.

Alam din ng karamihan na siya ay isang pastor’s wife to husband Joseph Bonifacio.

Marahil ang matagal na absence sa limelight at pagharap sa mas simpleng buhay ay mas nakapagpabago ng pananaw ni Rica.

At ngayon, panuntunan na niya sa buhay to live within her means at maglabas ng tamang halaga sa karapat-dapat na bilihin.

“Basta for me, I will live within my means, always see what message each brand I support conveys, and pay a sum of money according to how much it really should be worth and the value of it in my life cause it is never about the expensive for me—I buy expensive things too. But they are expensive for a real and not invested and twisted reason.”

Kung ang iba raw ay bumibili ng mga luxury brands sa paniniwalang may mataas na resale value ang mga ito, siya raw ay mas gusto niyang mag-invest sa mga real estates.

“I forgot to say that some really believe in the value of luxury items. Kaya they invest in them. I don’t talaga.

“I would sooner invest in real estate than stuff that are only expensive because of a name. Sa akin talaga, it isn’t about the amount but the heart of the brands you first look into. If it anywhere promotes inequality and envy, of course, wouldn’t like it a single bit.

“May nagsabi sa akin inspirational daw ba or aspirational na lang talaga yung mga napapanood natin and I’d say na how healthy is such aspiration kaya?”

Diin pa niya: “Just the fact that we call this ‘status symbol’ means there is a status ladder.

“Siyempre, nakakalungkot lang isipin na while some can easily afford it, those who ‘aspire’ to be like them ay nagpapahirap to get a ticket which gets them higher on the ladder.

“Ang prayer ko lagi is mabasag na ang mindset na need natin ‘yung ladder na ‘yun to begin with. Cause it only measures material wealth. Telling you who is rich and who is not. And I hope people don’t buy into the thinking that we need to be rich to have a good life.”