Debunking the SWS Survey and Mr. Survey Joel Tabora, SJ

From the blog of Lingayen - Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, DD.

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 CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES CATHOLIC DIRECTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES STATISTICS

It is interesting that Malacañang and its surrogates wanted to find out about the standing of the Catholic Church in the Philippines as far as its membership is concerned. More fascinating however is that a survey agency as in fact contracted, commissioned, and paid for the purpose. But what is truly intriguing -- funny, hilarious, ridiculous -- is the supposedly expert and the professional conclusion incredibly arrived at. This: One of every 11 Catholics wants to change their religion, to affiliate themselves with non-catholic sects or the like, for one reason of another.

Just for the record in black and white, the CBCP publishes the thick annual Catholic Directory of the Philippines forwarding in black and white the particulars of every Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction from all of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Just for the record, among but some — and they are so many informational data found therein — the following concrete entries are specifically found therein:


YEAR 2010-2011:

a. TOTAL NO. OF POPULATION:
    88,887,382

b. TOTAL NO. OF CATHOLICS:
    70,407,588

c. TOTAL NO. OF PRIESTS:
    8,605

Note: Total number of Baptism: 1,216,077


YEAR 2012-2013:

a. TOTAL NO. OF POPULATION:
    96,871,813

b. TOTAL NO. CATHOLICS:
    76,167,880

c. TOTAL NO. OF PRIESTS:
    9,040

Note: Total number of Baptism: 1,369,145

SUBMITTED BY: O.V. CRUZ, JCD
Judicial Vicar

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The SWS does surveys.  They take sample sizes in key places in the country.

Several questions though:

1. Who ever thought that the SWS was doing this study all along?  SWS does not conduct a study without a client paying them to do.  It is hypocritical for them to say it is for free when in fact they have to pay their interviewers to do their jobs.  
2. Is the SWS also doing similar studies to other religions in the country, most especially those who have large memberships or whose churches are active in the political sphere like the INC?
3. Which do you think is more accurate?  A survey or an actual census that gives you not a partial look of the statistics but gives you the entire statistics.

Guess Mr. Survey Joel Tabora is one of those guys who'd rather look at the new survey results of SWS or Google his name for hits rather than grab a copy of the Catholic Directory of the Philippines, no?

By the way, that directory even lists the names of priests in every diocese and in every religious order or congregation.

Because the SWS does not know that.

Did you notice how many Catholics were added from 2010 to 2012?  6.5 million with baptisms that  totalled 2.5 million only.  Are the Catholics leaving the Church or other Filipinos of other denominations joining the Church?

What were you saying Fr. Tabora?