THE majority of Filipinos have expressed optimism that they will have a better life this year, based on the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
The SWS poll, fielded from Dec. 13 to 16, revealed that 96 percent of adult Filipinos have “hope” rather than “fear” as they are about to face the new year.
The number of hopeful Filipinos is 4 percentage points higher than the 92 percent registered in 2018 and ties the record-high level that was first achieved in 2017.
Only 4 percent will welcome the new year with fear, down by 4 percentage points from 8 percent in 2018 and matches the record-low levels in 2017 and 2011.
The 4-percentage point rise in the overall New Year’s “hope” was due to increases in Balance Luzon (99 percent from 96 percent), Visayas (97 percent from 79 percent), and Metro Manila (96 percent from 94 percent). and 90 percent in Mindanao.
However, hope for the new year fell slightly in Mindanao from 94 percent in 2018 to 90 percent in 2019.
“Hope for the New Year has always been high, starting at 87 percent when SWS first asked the question in 2000,” the SWS said.
“It rose to 88 percent in 2001 and 95 percent in 2002 before easing to 90 percent in 2003, 81 percent in 2004, and 85 percent in 2005. It ranged from 91 percent to 92 percent from 2006 to 2008 and went up to 89 percent in 2009. It rose to 93 percent in 2010, and has since then been at 90s levels, reaching as high as 96 percent in 2017 and 2019,” it added.
A similar survey by Pulse Asia, which was conducted between Dec. 3 to 8, showed that 93 percent will welcome 2020 with hope, while only 0.2 percent will face the new year without hope.
President Duterte is also optimistic that Filipinos would continue to enjoy a “comfortable life” and feel a “lasting peace,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
The SWS’s latest poll also found that 33 percent had a New Year’s Resolution or a list of things they want to do or change in 2019, down by 13 percentage points from the 46 percent who made New Year’s resolutions in 2017.
The SWS only asked about the respondents’ New Year’s Resolution twice, in 2017and in 2019.
The 13-percentage point drop in the overall proportion of those who made New Year’s resolutions from 2017 to 2019 was driven by decreases in Metro Manila (29 percent from 47 percent), Balance Luzon (32 percent from 43 percent), the Visayas (29 percent from 45 percent), and Mindanao (39 percent from 53 percent).
Ten percent said all or most of their 2019 resolutions have been fulfilled.
Three percent stressed, “all or nearly all” of their New Year’s resolutions have been or will be fulfilled, while seven noted, “most” of them have been or will be done.
Nineteen percent said only a “few” have been accomplished, while the remaining 3 percent of the 33 percent admitted that “almost none or none” have been achieved.
“In comparison, of the 46 percent who made New Year’s resolutions in 2017, 6 percent said ‘all or nearly all’ of them have been fulfilled, 12 percent said ‘most’ of them, 23 percent said a ‘few,’ and 4 percent said ‘almost none or none.’ 1 percent did not give an answer,” the survey noted.
The SWS said 97 percent of Filipinos who expected a “happy” Christmas have hope for 2020, while only 79 percent of those who expected a sad Christmas want to welcome the new year with hope.
The SWS interviewed 1,200 adult Filipinos, using sampling error margins of ±3 percentage points for national percentages, and ±6 percentage points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (PNA)
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