About that SWS survey on Catholics

I know that because of the earlier warning by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) that a tropical depression codenamed "Crising" had entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility a lot of people cancelled their planned vacation out of Cebu and opted to do their religious obligations within Metro Cebu. So last Saturday when PAGASA downgraded Crising from a Tropical Depression into a Low Pressure Area, a lot of vacationers got mad at PAGASA and the Coast Guard for not allowing vessels to leave port.   

I don't blame PAGASA or the Coast Guard for being extra cautious. But still you could see netizens complaining in the social media networks that since it was a sunny Black Saturday, vessels should have been allowed to sail. Apparently this was the problem when PAGASA downgraded Crising from a TD down to an LPA. But late evening last Saturday, strong rains started to pour from the heavens with no letup until well into the morning of Easter Sunday.

By late Sunday noon, we already received reports that the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office confirmed that nine bodies were recovered in the town of Carmen and Danao City. While others are also reported missing in Carmen town. Five of the fatalities in Carmen drowned and one was electrocuted while running to higher ground.

In Cebu City, according to Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Chief Nagiel Bañacia, some 19 barangays experienced heavy flooding and forty families were evacuated in Barangay Talamban while twenty families were evacuated in Kinasang-an, Pardo. I'm sure that the flood-prone Colon St. and the areas surrounding SM City must have also been flooded. Apparently the downgraded Crising turned many towns and barangays into disaster areas. There should be a lesson for us here…that we can never be too cautious!

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We just finished the Lenten Season, which culminated, with the Holy Week and quite timely, the Social Weather Station (SWS) came up with their recent survey that revealed that 8 out of 10 Filipinos believe that religion is important to their lives. While the 15 percent are those who no longer believe in the existence of God. They don't care where their souls would end up!

Last Thursday's Visita Iglesia, the Catholic faithful got out to visit seven churches and it is proof especially here in Metro Cebu that the Catholic faith is strong with the Cebuano people. Of all the seven churches that we visited last Thursday, we experienced parking problems, even though the major thoroughfares were practically empty.

Easter Sunday vigil also had our churches in full capacity. Parking was difficult to find, which tells you that SWS was right on the nail with their latest survey, that at least 80 percent of Filipinos in this hundred million population of ours consider themselves as religious. However, the SWS survey is also a revelation about us Catholics. So allow me to get a direct quote from the news reports of the SWS survey.

"The latest SWS survey also showed that 48 percent of the Filipinos attend religious services every week. Thirty-four percent (34 percent) said they attend religious services once a month, while 17 percent said they occasionally attend religious services. Among the respondents, it was the members of Iglesia ni Cristo (90 percent) who mostly said that they attend religious services every week. They were followed by Muslims (81 percent), other Christians (71 percent) and Catholics (41 percent). The survey was conducted among 1,200 adult Filipinos. It has an error margin of +/- three percent."

Notice that only 41 percent of Catholics attend church services every week. I have long suspected that a great majority of Filipino Catholics do not go to Sunday mass anymore. Based on this SWS survey, I suggest that the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines or the various archdioceses in the country do a study as to why a huge number of Catholics no longer attend to their church obligations.

It is a fact that this figure of 41 percent is what I would call the Catholic vote or even less of this figure! The Catholic Church should never take things for granted and come up with a well-researched study in the hope that we can reverse the situation and save more Catholic souls!

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