92% of Pinoys enter ’09 with hope – poll

Nine out of 10 or 92 percent of Filipinos look forward to the New Year with hope rather than fear, a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The Fourth Quarter Social Weather Survey found that hopes for the New Year are high in all areas – 94 percent in the Visayas, 92 percent in both Luzon and Mindanao, and 89 percent in Metro Manila.

The non-commissioned survey, conducted from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults in Metro Manila, Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

In Mindanao, hope for the New Year slightly increased from 87 percent in 2007 to 92 percent in 2008.

Hopefulness for the New Year in Metro Manila slightly declined to 89 percent from the record-high 95 percent in 2007.

New Year hopefulness in Luzon barely changed from 91 to 92 percent and stayed at 94 percent in the Visayas.

The 92 percent hopeful about the coming year is similar to the 91 percent posted in 2006 and in 2007. From 2000 to 2004, New Year hope ranged from 81 to 95 percent, the SWS said.

“In Germany, where the survey question originated, those expressing hope ranged from 31 percent to 58 percent in 1991 to 2002. German hope in the coming year has not exceeded 58 percent since 1991,” the SWS said.

The SWS said New Year hopes are high across socio-economic classes – 92 percent among the middle to upper classes ABC, 92 percent among D class or the “masa” and 90 percent among the very poor class E.

Hopefulness for the New Year slightly increased among classes ABC, from 88 percent in 2007 to 92 percent in 2008.

Compared to 2007, it did not change among class D at 92 percent and class E, from 91 percent to 90 percent.

Among the 63 percent who expect a happy 2008 Christmas, 95 percent say they are entering the coming year with hope.

However, even among the eight percent who expect a sad Christmas, 76 percent look forward to 2009 with hope, the SWS said.

It said the survey question on hope versus fear about the New Year was patterned after the polls conducted annually by the Allensbach Institute of Demoskopy (http://www.ifd-allensbach.de), a pioneering opinion research center in Germany.

The SWS used sampling error margins of ±2.5 percent for national percentages, plus or minus six percent for Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao, and plus or minus four percent balance Luzon.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo welcomed the survey result.

“We have much to be hopeful about and grateful for. We have triumphed over the difficulties of this year from which we take away many valuable lessons that strengthen and make us, more prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.”

“2008 will be a hallmark year for the administration and the Palace vows to realize its vision for the country and enjoins every Filipino to support the government and work for the betterment of the nation. We are a country of strong, hardworking and kind people and hope springs eternal in the Filipino heart.” – Helen Flores, Marvin Sy, Philippine Star