Panel Letter

DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
South La Union Campus

COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES
Agoo, La Union
April 18, 2021
DR. ISIDRO L. DURAN

Dean, College of Graduate Studies
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
South La Union Campus
Consolacion, Agoo, La Union
Attention: Statistics Center DMMMSU-SLUC
Sir:
I forward this communication to provide further facts and explanation on the noted irregularities and
observations in the submission of responses through Google Form survey:
1. The absence of the questionnaires in hard copy upon the request of Statistics Center.
The hard copies of the questionnaire were given to schools together with the signed letter by the
Superintendent. I have provided the Statistics Center pictures as proof of my visit and distribution
to my school-respondents starting on February 22, 2019. Notwithstanding, I have also shared the
schools the link to the Google Form version as an alternative and to use technology for faster
retrieval and data processing. When the Statistics Center asked for the hard copy of the result, I
told them that I used the Google Form. It was my mistake not telling the presence of hard copies
because I fear I cannot produce them as I simply relied on the submitted Google Form believing
the Google Form is as good as the hard copy form. It was my belief that the same data has been
gathered and actually even more accurate and reliable because of traceability and authenticity
imprints; hence, I did not retrieve anymore the hard copies from my respondents. However, I
stand by my affirmation that I have not done any form of manipulation to my respondents and on
the data.
2. The irregularities in the Timestamp
When the Statistics Center has informed me about the observed irregularities, I must admit that I
was surprised of its existence and was not able to give a logical and coherent explanation.
Honestly, it was my just my first time to scrutinize the timestamps because in my data extraction
and processing, I just focused on the data I needed for my study and without any worries because
I followed the procedures in my data collection in all honesty. When my adviser was also
informed by the Stat Center about the irregularity, he, too, raised questions on the timestamps and
I said that I do not have any idea as my direct contact has just been the school heads and the IT
Coordinators assigned as focal persons to assist me. My adviser told me to get facts by calling
the schools. In my communication to some schools, I just found out that the IT Coordinators
helped the teachers in submitting the answers by assisting them or were the ones who encoded the
answers in the Google Form based on the hard copies. The IT coordinators explained that their
one-time-one-after-another encoding action was to facilitate the data collection after my several
follow-ups and pleadings informing them of the still few submissions in the Google database. As
they have explained, the teachers, accordingly, cannot access the link for reasons such as lack or
poor Internet connectivity and some have technology competency issues. Hence, the IT
coordinators reposted the Google link of the questionnaire and also distributed hard copies for
those with issues during their scheduled Learning Action Cell Sessions and Brigada Eskwela
meetings to resolve the issues of non-submission.
In the following days after the report of the Stat Center of their findings, my adviser asked me to
extract the timestamps for further review. After careful scrutiny and analysis of the Google Sheet
data, we have come to the conclusion that the timestamps with short intervals, as seen in some
schools were, indeed, irregular deserving logical explanation – hence, my action to inquire and
find answers. Over and above the offered explanation, however, it is also a contention that the
observed irregularity does not necessarily equate to the idea that the gathered data cannot be
trusted. Based on the timestamps, my data-gathering took three (3) months of which there were
early submissions starting February 2019 and the high statistics of submissions occurring during
the months of March and May 2019 after series of follow-ups and pleadings - which are normal
for surveys. The narrated details of my contacts explain the irregular occurrence of high
frequency and short-interval submissions in some schools. For even in the practice of retrieving
hard copies of questionnaires, it is not unusual for school heads/focal persons to remind/facilitate
the retrieval of copies and for the respondents to answer the questionnaires on the same day of
follow-up/visit by researchers. Likewise, it is a common experience that Google forms are
mostly answered on the last minute or deadline given the competing priorities of respondents and
upon earnest pleading of researchers.
3. The supervision in answering the Google Forms in one phone.
The supervision only happened in Bungol National High School located at the foot of the
mountain where the signal and the Internet connection is very poor. As a back-up plan, I offered
my service to visit them and for them to use my phone and internet data because I was the one
asking help for my study and also to enable me to store and retrieve the data in the Google
database for faster data processing. In the site, I opened several tabs in my phone and I let them
answer in my phone but when they clicked the Submit button, a “Connection Lost” message
would appear. So, what I did was to let them answer the questionnaire in my phone and that I
will be the one to send it when I reached the area in the municipality where there is a strong
signal.
I am writing this letter again with my sincerest appeal for kindest consideration. I can honestly say that I
have never intended to breach the ethical principles of research. I also am committed to live by the values
inculcated in me by DMMMSU. I am just an ordinary student and have simply wanted to further myself
through education as a means of improving my lot to help my family and to become a productive member
and model to our community that DMMMSU could be proud of. As a student of the university for about
10 years now since my undergraduate program, I have not committed a single instance of inappropriate
behavior nor have I compromised my values and principles for any gain. Any fraud or dishonesty in my
research does not benefit me in any way. There is no pressure on my part to manipulate people or data if
only to produce a desired result. My study is a descriptive research and a high or low rating from my
respondents does not create a problem in my study. My role is to simply present the findings as is –
which I did and have already come out with a manuscript of my dissertation. Neither do I need to commit
fraud just to fast track my research because I have finished my research and am just applying for final
defense after two (2) years of painstaking data analysis, and report writing.
If there are still shrouds of doubt surrounding my research, I am willing to go back to the schools to ask
for certification of authenticity of the data they have submitted in the Google Form and to retrieve the
hard copies of questionnaire - if these are still available (given the length of time of the submission).
I am also willing to submit myself for any inquiry by the college to prove that I have been honest in my
research undertaking. I can also share the contact number of the focal persons if the college desires
further details and probing.
It is my fervent prayer, however, that my gathered data be preserved and not to repeat the process of data
gathering because much time, resources, and effort have already been invested to finish my dissertation.
It will be difficult and demoralizing to start all over again especially in this time of pandemic when it is
best to make use of my limited resources to more important matters such as food, health, and support for
my family.
Thank you very much for your usual understanding and support. May God bless you a thousand-fold.
Respectfully yours,
MICHAEL STEPHEN R. GRACIAS

Ph. D. Student
Noted:
EMMANUEL J. SONGCUAN, Ph. D.

Adviser

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DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY

South La Union Campus

April 18, 2021

DR. ISIDRO L. DURAN

Attention: Statistics Center DMMMSU-SLUC

2. The irregularities in the Timestamp

3. The supervision in answering the Google Forms in one phone.

MICHAEL STEPHEN R. GRACIAS

EMMANUEL J. SONGCUAN, Ph. D.

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