‘Gutom’

‘There’s a world of difference between having nothing to eat and not eating by choice.

The background was the findings of Social Weather Stations that the incidence of hunger in February remained at an all-time high of 19 percent, a level first reach in November 2006. That hunger remained stuck at that record level becomes even more worrisome because the incidence has been at double-digit levels since June 2004.

(And for those who always "maliciously" compare social indicators during the time of Joseph Estrada, here is the comparative figure: highest at 14.5 percent in November 1998.)

Arroyo’s point in her having missed a meal the past three months is to impugn SWS’ way of defining "hunger." Arroyo made it appear that SWS defined hunger as having nothing to eat at least once in the past three months. Well, everybody misses a meal once in a while, so SWS’ finding is less than convincing as it seems. Or so Arroyo wants us to believe.

But what was the question actually asked by SWS? It says, "Nitong nakaraang 3 buwan, nangyari po ba kahit minsan na and inyong pamilya ay nakaranas ng gutom at wala kayong makain?"

This has nothing to do with missing or skipping a meal. Or experiencing hunger pangs for having salad greens and foregoing the usual steak. The question is about hunger arising from having nothing to fill the stomach. "Gutom dahil sa walang makain."

Another president, Diosdado Macapagal, probably knew what kind of hunger SWS is talking about. He was a farmer’s son from Lubao. But Gloria, his daughter, has had no experience of going to sleep with the gnawing pain caused by the gastric juices eating the lining of an empty stomach. An excessive intake of cognac, taken without even a nibble of hors d’oeuvres, might give rise to the same sensation. But there’s a world of difference between having nothing to eat and not eating by choice.

The inability to empathize with those who have nothing much in life is made worse by the intellectual dishonesty shown by this holder of a PhD in economics. The way SWS worded its question could probably be improved. But what is more important is the consistent deployment of the question over time.