After Yolanda, majority of Pinoys think life in PHL worsened in 2013 – Pulse Asia

(Updated 12:06 p.m.) Majority of Filipinos think the quality of life in the Philippines deteriorated in the past year after natural disasters, including super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), hit parts of the country during the past few months, a Pulse Asia survey revealed Monday.

Fifty-five percent of the poll’s respondents said life in the country got worse in December 2013 compared to the year before.

The same survey also showed that more Filipinos are pessimistic about the prospect of life in the country this year.

Some 31 percent of the respondents think life in the Philippines will worsen in 2014–an increase of 18 percentage points from the 13 percent who said the same thing in March 2013.

The survey was conducted from December 8 to 15 last year, a few weeks after Yolanda left a path of destruction in central Philippines. It was also done two months after the 7.2 magnitude quake that hit Bohol in mid-October last year.

PHL economy ‘worse now’

The Pulse Asia survey also showed that more Filipinos thought the Philippine economy worsened during the latter half of 2013.

The percentage of respondents who said the national economy is “worse now” compared to last year rose to 50 percent in December 2013 from 29 percent last June.

The Pulse Asia poll showed that the perception of a worsened national economy surged across all regions and income classes in the country.

The rise, however, was most pronounced in the Visayas region, which was battered by natural disasters last year. From 30 percent in June 2013, the percentage of Filipinos in the Visayas saying that the country’s economy worsened soared to 67 percent.

Most of those who said the national economy worsened also claimed that they “strongly feel” the effects of economic deterioration.

Only 11 percent of the respondents said the Philippine economy improved in the past six months, while 40 percent said the economy was stagnant. — RSJ, GMA News