3 out of 10 say life improved in past 12 months

by Nathaniel Mariano, Manila Standard, May 25, 2019

Three in 10 Filipinos believed their personal quality of life has improved in the past 12 months, the latest Social Weather Stations’ survey revealed on Friday.

In its survey, SWS said 38 percent of Filipinos said the state of their lives improved while fewer Filipinos at 21 percent said the quality of their lives has worsened.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the latest figures was a wake-up call to those who oppose the Duterte administration.

“This is yet another loud repudiation against, and yet another wake-up call to, the critics and detractors of the Duterte administration, which include the left-leaning groups, militant church members and the political opposition, who continuously and deliberately ignore our achievements which redound to the benefit of the Filipino masses,” Panelo said in a statement.

SWS said the latest figures revealed a five-point increase in net gainers’ score from “very high” + 12 in December 2018 to +17 in March 2019, which was classified by SWS as “very high.”

The five-point rise in the national net gainers’ score was due to increases in major areas.

Net Gainers rose by nine points in the Visayas, from +3 (high) in December to +12 (very high) in March. It also rose by seven points in Metro Manila, from +14 (very high) in December to +21 (excellent) in March.

In Balance Luzon, it rose by six points, from +13 (very high) in December to +19 (very high) in March.

However, it decreased by two points in Mindanao, from +18 (very high) in December 2018 to +16 (very high) in March 2019.
Net gainers increased among classes ABC and D.

“It rose by 8 points among class ABC from +23 (excellent) in December 2018 to +31 (excellent) in March 2019. Among class D, it rose by seven points, from +11 (very high) in December 2018 to +18 (very high) this March,” it said.

It fell, however, among class E, registering a decline of four points from +12 (very high) in December 2018 to +8 (high) in March 2019.

SWS said there were more net optimists—or those who expect their personal quality of life to improve in the next 12 months–than pessimists.

Some 50 percent of the respondents were optimists, while 4 percent were pessimists, the SWS said, saying this resulted in a net optimist score of +47, which was “excellent,” and seven points up from +40 in December 2018.

The 7-point increase in the net personal optimists’ score was due to increases in all areas except in Metro Manila where it decreased by two points from +44 in December 2018 to +42 in March 2019.

The survey, conducted from March 28 to 31, 2019, used face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults. It had sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.