AS USUAL, my buddies at my favorite watering hole in Adobo City (AKA Daly City) turn to me to explain some of the happenings in the Philippines. Of course, I probably know just a bit more than they do and not much more, but I oblige.
This time, they want me to explain the SWS survey on public satisfaction with the performance of President Noynoy Aquino. They first want to know how it’s done.
“It’s very simple, really,” I say and I read to them what’s reported in the papers.
“They ask a respondent: Please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are in the performance of Benigo S. Aquino III as president of the Philippines. Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, undecided if satisfied or dissatisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, very dissatisfied?”
“Shouldn’t that be ‘satisfied with’ and not ‘satisfied in’?” butts in Pete, who is a know-it-all.
“They’re supposed to be researchers, not grammarians,” I say, cutting him off. “Satisfied with, satisfied in, pareho na rin iyon, as long as they are understood. Besides, they also state it in Tagalog.”
“Sounds like a very complicated question. Can the respondents understand all of that?”says Pete.
“I think they ask the respondents to check a box in a questionnaire,” I explain. “It’s really simple. Parang multiple choice when we were in high school.”
To prove my point, I decide to test the methodology on my buddies: “O, ikaw, Pete. How would you rate PNoy?”
“Malay ko. I only know what I read in the papers at saka sa social media. Sa Facebook, there are people who think Aquino never does anything right. And there are those who think Noynoy never does anything wrong. Maybe, they know something I don’t”
“So, ano ang sagot mo?”
“Siyempre, I base my opinion on what I know. And I know that Noynoy is the son of Ninoy and Cory, therefore, he will not disgrace his parents. Therefore, ang sagot ko, Very Satisfied.”
“But what does that have to do with his performance as president?” asks Larry, looking up from his beer.
“Parang movies yan, pare,” Pete explains. “The hero is good, the villain is bad. Ninoy and Cory are heroes. Therefore, they are good. Noynoy is their son, therefore he is also good. Intiendes?”
“Eh, ikaw, Larry, how do you rate Noynoy?” I ask.
“Para sa akin, Somewhat Dissatisfied,” he replies.
“Explain,” I prod.
“Why should I? The SWS survey does not ask respondents to explain. Basta, whatever my answer is, that’s it!”
“Pero, sa atin-atin lang,” I press. “Why are you somewhat dissatisfied?”
“Dahil kay Kris Aquino, that’s why,” Larry snaps.
“What does that have to do with PNoy’s performance as president?” Johnny cuts in, throwing back to Larry what he had said earlier.
“Plenty,” replies Larry. “Di ba, when Imelda was First Lady, whatever she did affected how people regarded Marcos? Di ba, when Mike Arroyo was First Gentleman, whatever he did, Gloria Arroyo was blamed for it?”
“Therefore…..?” we ask.
“Therefore, whatever Kris does, Noynoy Aquino is affected because she is the First Sister.”
At this, Johnny steps forward, shaking his head. “That’s my problem with the SWS public opinion surveys. They ask people to give their opinion on public officials and political candidates without probing, without asking for an explanation. The result? Garbage in, garbage out.”
“But even if people do not know enough, isn’t it important to know what they think?” I try to rationalize.
“Based on ignorance?” challenges Johnny.
“Ipagpalagay mo na, based on ignorance. What’s wrong with that?”
Johnny heaves a sigh of frustration and explains his point, without attempting to veil his sarcasm. “Have you read the poem, The Blind Men and the Elephant?” he asks. “It’s about six men from Hindustan, to saying much inclined, who went to see the elephant, though all of them were blind, that each by observation might satisfy his mind.”
“How can a blind man describe an elephant?” says Larry.
“Precisely,” replies Johnny. “In the same manner, how can people who don’t have enough information evaluate the performance of the president?”
“Di, kasalanan ng media!” snaps Pete.
“Hindi,” butts in Sammy, who has been quiet all along. “It’s the fault of the Malacañang press office and the Malacañang spokesman.”
“Hindi,” insists Larry. “It’s the fault of the people for not knowing enough.”
“No, no, no,” says Johnny. “It’s the fault of SWS for not providing enough insights.”
“Bakit naman?” I ask, in defense of SWS. “All they’re doing is get feedback from the public, whatever that feedback might be.”
“En caso,” says Johnny, “if the feedback is positive based on inadequate knowledge, the president will think he is doing okay – yon pala, hindi. So, if he has not been doing a good job, he will never know that.”
“Siguro naman, may independent surveys ang office of the president,” says Pete.
“Granting that,” says Johnny. “If the results are not flattering, will they tell Noynoy Aquino the truth?”
It is obvious that the discussion is getting more and more complicated. I’m about to change the subject, but Johnny makes another point.
“There’s something else in the SWS survey that confuses me,” he says. “This figure that they call Net Satisfaction Rating. Can you understand that?”
“Simple lang iyan,” I reply. “If your Satisfaction Rating is, say, 75 percent, and your Dissatisfaction Rating is 25 percent, then your Net Satisfaction Rating is 50 percent. Simple subtraction lang iyan, pare. 75 minus 25 equals 50.”
“Pero what’s the significance of that figure? For example, if I owe you $100 and I satisfy you by paying $75, leaving a balance of $25 that you are dissatisfied with…what’s my Net Paid?
“$75,” I say.
“No,” says Johnny. “Based on the formula of SWS, my Net Paid is $50.”
“Why????” we all ask.
“Because, using the SWS formula, $75 paid minus $25 unpaid equals $50 Net Paid.”
At this point, I am as confused as everyone else.
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