This week Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo appeared pleased before reporters covering Malacañang that a Social Weather Stations survey in the last quarter of 2018 showed the public had “felt genuine and meaningful change.”
The survey suggested 86 percent of the population—from 1,440 respondents representing 106 million plus Filipinos—have rated their lives positively in the last quarter of 2018.
We have no immediate figures for the comparative period in 2017, which should be in order. And we are slightly curious over the timing of the release, given that there have been other similar surveys, albeit on different issues, in the earlier quarters of 2019.
We note the story was picked up by only two Metro Manila broadsheets, this paper included which gave it a page 1 treatment on Thursday, and the other a page 3 one-fourth page spread—with complaints over lasting traffic gridlocks in the metropolis, not helped any by the new monstrous jams at the south side of the capital.
Even before the atrocious vehicular traffic along the South Luzon Expressway, aggravated by the unexpected traffic buildup along a section of the northbound lane near the Alabang off-ramp which was closed off sans prior information to the public for the Skyway Extension project, wheels movement in the south and in the north had been extremely appalling.
And that kind of traffic has been a daily giant that must be grabbed by its horns by authorities a little over three years going now.
We can understand Panelo's upbeat mien in declaring the poll is proof the people “have felt genuine and meaningful change” under President Rodrigo Duterte's leadership.
And intrepid he was in saying the results of the survey taken nine months ago show those in government “that almost all Filipinos, whether here or abroad, have universally recognized the bold strides undertaken by the President and his administration to pursue socio-development programs that are not only inclusive but are also sustainable.”
He added: “These shall be the bedrock of the Duterte legacy in the remainder of his term and the Filipino people can expect that we will not rest nor will tire until all our taxpayers are convinced that they are getting their money's worth.”
The timing makes us quite curious.