Who are poor? Who are rich? Who belong to the middle classes, upper and lower?
How come statistics can be able to determine the percentages?
Recently, Social Weather Station (SWS) came up with its latest survey that 9.4 million households rated themselves poor. So it was those who were interviewed who said they are poor. Believe it or not, many of them maybe are not really that poor. Us, or shall we say, many of us, we really don’t tell what we is real and true.
I remember a story told many times by friends in the tennis club where we play cards on weekends.
One friend of mine is ‘kristo’ in a cockpit and he always remind us that only in a boxing match you will know who won, because the referee will raise the hand of the victor.
Try to ask anyone among the aficionados who who’s racking up bets, and more than 80% will say they are losing. Those with big wins will tell you they are just but even. And those who are losing few pesos will claim they already parted with bundles. In short, nobody is really telling the truth.
Sorry to say to the SWS people that they can never been close to accuracy.
Even the unemployment rate in the Philipines will be very difficult to determine. I don’t have the number of cockpits in the country, but there are at least one in a town and two or three in big cities. The ‘kristos’ are never considered to be employed. And ‘runners’, gaffe men, cock trainers, vendors, referees and several other works are available during cock derbies.
Jueteng bet collectors cannot be considered poor. I know many of them personally and they were able to send their kids to college. They enjoy family outings on weekends at the malls and sometimes they throw lavish birthday parties.
But in a public meeting, if someone from a government agency will ask who are poor and request that those who are may raise their hands, expect a majority.