SWS: Almost half of Filipinos see quality of life, economy improving in 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly half of Filipinos are positive that their quality of life and the Philippine economy would get better this year, the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed.

Of the 1,440 respondents, 45 percent expect their personal quality of life to improve in the next 12 months, with only five percent saying it would get worse.

This yielded a net score of “excellent” +40, 13 points up from the “high” +27 in September 2018. The net score is also similar to the “excellent” +40 to +45 levels achieved from June 2017 to June 2018.

The net personal optimism was “excellent” in Metro Manila (+44) and Mindanao (+44), “very high” in Visayas (+34) and “high” in Balance Luzon (+40).

It also rose to “excellent” in class ABC (+46) and class D (+41), and “very high” in class E (+35).

4 of 10 are optimistic about economy

The December 2018 survey also found that 43 percent of Filipinos are optimistic that the general Philippine economy would get better, while only nine percent expect that it would deteriorate.

The net optimism about the economy is classified as “excellent” at +32, 21 points above the “very high” +11 in September 2018. This is also the highest since the “excellent” +42 in December 2017.

It improved to “excellent” in all areas and classes.

More Filipinos believe quality of life improved

The fourth quarter survey also showed that 37 percent of Filipinos said their lives improved. Twenty-five percent, on the other hand, believed their lives worsened.

This brought the net gainers score to “very high” +12. The latest net gainers score recovered from the “high” +5 in June 2018 and “fair” -2 in September 2018.

The poll was done from Dec. 16 to 19, 2019. It has sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao. — Gaea Katreena Cabico