95% of Pinoys greet New Year with hope

MANILA, Philippines – Almost all Filipinos will enter the New Year with hope, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The SWS survey, taken from Dec. 3 to 6, found 95 percent of adult Filipinos who said they are entering 2017 with hope rather than with fear – up from 92 percent last year.

Only five percent will enter the New Year with fear.

The survey was based on face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults 18 years old and above nationwide.

The 95 percent matched the all-time high 95 percent who were also hopeful in 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2012.

SWS said hope for the New Year has always been high, starting at 87 percent when the pollster first undertook such surveys in 2000.

On the other hand, the five percent entering the New Year with fear is the lowest since the four percent recorded in 2012.

This is three points down from eight percent in 2015.

SWS said New Year hope is widespread in all areas – 97 percent in balance Luzon, 95 percent in the National Capital Region (NCR), 95 percent in Mindanao and 92 percent in the Visayas.

Compared to last year, hopefulness for the New Year improved in the provincial areas but hardly changed in NCR.

In Mindanao, New Year hope rose in 2016 to reach all-time high 95 percent, up by seven points from 88 percent in 2015 and 91 percent in 2014.

In the Visayas, New Year hope improved by two points, from 90 percent in 2015 to 92 percent in 2016.

In Balance Luzon, New Year hope improved by four points, up from 93 percent in 2015 to 97 percent in 2016, matching the all-time high 97 percent recorded in the area in 2010.

In NCR, New Year hope hardly changed from 94 percent in 2015 to 95 percent in 2016.

By class, hopefulness for the New Year is high regardless of socio-economic class, the SWS said.

Almost all (99 percent) of upper to middle classes ABC are hopeful of the coming 2017, slightly higher compared to 95 percent among the masa or class D and 93 percent among very poor class E.

“Compared to 2015, the percentages of those who are hopeful of the coming New Year improved across all classes,” the SWS said.

Among classes ABC, New Year hope improved by six points, up from 93 percent in 2015 to 99 percent in 2016. 

Among class D, New Year hope improved by three points, from 92 percent in 2015 to 95 percent in 2016. 

Among class E, New Year hope improved by five points, up from 88 percent in 2015 to 93 percent in 2016. 

SWS said New Year hope has usually been lower among class E, ranging from 82 percent to 94 percent.