Palace hits SWS ‘slanted’ poll on Chinese workers in PH

MANILA – Most Filipinos’ concern over the influx of Chinese nationals working in the Philippines no longer came as a surprise, Malacañang said on Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Palace expects the results of Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) September 27 to 30 poll showing that 70 percent of adult Filipinos were “worried” about Chinese workers’ presence in the country, considering the “slanted” question asked to the 1,800 respondents.

“The Palace is not surprised by the survey result showing that 70 percent of adult Filipinos expressed worry about the increasing number of foreign Chinese working in the Philippines,” Panelo said in a statement.

“It is a matter of research methodology. We note that the survey question has been slantly phrased as: Gaano po kayo nababahala sa pagdami ng dayuhang Intsik na nagtratrabaho sa Pilipinas (How worried are you about the increasing number of foreign Chinese working here in the Philippines)?” the Palace official added.

The SWS noted that 31 percent of 70 percent Filipinos were “worried a great deal” about the surge in the number of Chinese workers in the Philippines, while the other 39 percent were “somewhat worried.”

Around 19 percent were “not too worried,” while the remaining 11 percent were “not at all worried.”

Panelo said majority of Filipinos’ response was “logical and expected” because the question “already assumes that there exists a cause [for] worry.”

“In the same logic, those who are opposed to the President’s pivot to China by reason of his independent foreign policy, would put political color and tweak and highlight the result of this survey question for political propaganda purposes,” he said.

“Contrary to the result of this survey, the Chinese has seamlessly assimilated in the Filipino way of life for centuries, and we attribute this to the hospitable and inclusive nature of our people,” Panelo added.

A total of 3.12 million Chinese nationals entered the Philippines from January 2016 to May 2018, according to the data from the Bureau of Immigration.

Around 335,800 Chinese were granted working visas and special permits from 2016 to 2018.

Panelo said Filipinos who seek employment would be given more priority by the Duterte government.

He reiterated that the current administration would strictly implement the country’s immigration and labor policies against any foreign workers who may be found committing any irregularities.

“The Filipino people are assured, that this Administration is strict in enforcing the law, especially those pertaining to our immigration and labor policies,” he said.

“The President, as always, will prioritize the interests of the Filipino people and our local labor force,” Panelo added. ■