EDITORIAL - Leaving is so very hard to do

If the assaults on their credibility were booming claps of thunder, then the surveys that, notwithstanding, just keep on coming must be the mushrooms. (Note: This allusion to thunder and mushrooms is based largely on folklore and must be taken with a grain of salt).

Anyway, yet another survey says majority of Filipinos no longer feel that the Philippines is a hopeless case and therefore have no intention of migrating overseas to look for greener pastures.

Such a finding promptly inspired a curt rejoinder from pundits who said this must be because those who saw the Philippines as hopeless have all left, leaving behind those who cannot leave even if they wanted to.

That is, of course, most unkind. With or without surveys, we Filipinos must always presume in favor of our country, meaning that we are only being forced by dire circumstances to leave country and loved ones behind.

Surveys never fail to point out some margin of error. But such margins of error only refer to possible discrepancies in the tallies. They never take into consideration such things as credibility of sources or guarantees of truthfulness in the answers.

These impairments or shortcomings are, in fact, among the reasons why surveys must always be taken with a grain of salt. This is, in fact, the reason why some people believe surveys can be manipulated or bought.

In fairness to surveys, they are what they are, mere surveys. It is probably not right to assail them for being less truthful or realistic when in fact they never advertise themselves as the truth or reality.

Be that as it may, in this particular instance, we believe there is some factual basis for the survey findings that most Filipinos would not want to migrate. Because, of course, who would want to leave his country if only he can help it.

What we tend to disagree with is the basis for supposedly wanting to stay — which is that the Philippines is not as hopeless as it seems. Okay, hopeless may be too harsh a word to use. But certainly conditions are such that, even now, an average of 2,500 are leaving daily.