Dynasties galore

UR common understanding of political dynasty is in terms of a family name that proliferates in a political environment, establishing a kind of influence and dominance over the place. In the Great Dictionary of the English Language, “dynasty” is defined as:

“1. a line of hereditary rulers; 2. a succession of prominent people from the same family; derivatives: dynastic (adjective), dynastically (adverb).

The term traditionally considers sovereign states' history as within its framework, such as successive dynasties, for instance, of China, ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire, and much of European political history.

A dynasty, according to Wikepedia, is also often called a house (e.g., House of Saud and House of Windsor). Dynasty is also used to refer to the era of a family’s reign, as well as the events or trends during its time.

However, under our present conditions in the Philippines, I think our concept of dynasties is basically narrowed down to prominent families or families with believed wide following or a coterie of followers over a particular village, town, city or province.

This does not mean that their political aspiration runs in the same course or path. As we may have seen or witnessed in our country, political aspirants may belong to the same dynasty, but they do fight or compete against each other within the clan.

I may not have to go far to illustrate this point. It does seem that in my hometown, Balamban, the Sanchezes, Binghays, Gonzalezes and Paulins have formed a sort of dynasty among themselves across the years.

Before World War II, at the time of the Commonwealth, there was the Pilapils and the Gonzalezes and Sanchezes. After World War II, at the start of the Republic, the same families remained, expanded with the entry of the Binghays through marriage to a Sanchez.

Then Municipal Judge Jose Binghay married Exasperanza Sanchez and generated a new line of succession. Today, it is the Binghays that appears to be competing within the clan.

A Karamihan has married into the Binghays, and Dave, a Karamihan scion is said to be aspiring for vice mayor to his cousin, Mayor Ace Binghay whose mother, Rose Veloso Binghay is the incumbent vice mayor. That makes her the aunt of Dave.

This only shows how genuine is the workings of democracy in our town. Now, it would be safe for one to say that while dynasties may have come down to us from the rulers and royalties of Europe and China, they ended with a triumphant democracy in the Republic of the Philippines.