More Filipinos see better life, economy in 2018 – SWS

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos are optimistic that their personal quality of life and the economy will get better in 2018, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its latest survey.

Forty-seven percent of Filipino adults expect their lives to improve in the next 12 months against only four percent who expect it to get worse, yielding a net personal optimism of +42, classified by the SWS as “excellent.”

This was two points above the excellent +40 (44 optimists, four percent pessimists) in June.

The poll was conducted from Sept. 23 to 27 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults nationwide.

SWS noted that net personal optimism had been excellent (+40 and above) since December 2015, except in March 2017 when it was a very high +36.

The pollster attributed the two-point rise in net personal optimism nationwide to increases in Mindanao, Metro Manila and the Visayas.

It rose by one grade from very high to excellent in Mindanao, from +37 in June to +46 in September.

It stayed excellent in Metro Manila, up by six points from +46 to +52.

It stayed very high in the Visayas, up by three points from +36 to +39.

However, net personal optimism fell by one grade from excellent to very high in balance Luzon, from +42 to +39.

Net personal optimism also improved by one grade from very high to excellent in class ABC, up by 14 points from +39 in June to +53 in September.

It stayed excellent in class D, or the masa. It was up by a point from +41 to +42.

It stayed very high in class E, up by a point from +37 to +38.

The September 2017 survey also found nearly half of Filipinos expect a better economy.

It found 43 percent of Filipino adults who are optimistic that the general economy would get better next year while 12 percent feel it would deteriorate, resulting in a net optimism score of +30, also classified as excellent.

This was three points higher than the excellent +27 (39 percent optimistic about the economy, 12 percent pessimistic about the economy) in June.

Net optimism about the economy had been excellent (+20 and above) in all eight surveys since December 2015.

SWS said net optimism about the economy remained excellent in all areas.

The four-point rise in national net optimism about the economy was due to increases in Mindanao and Metro Manila, combined with a steady score in balance Luzon and a slight decline in the Visayas.

It stayed excellent in Mindanao, up by 17 points from +34 in June to +51 in September.

It also remained excellent in Metro Manila, up by three points from +27 to +30.

It stayed at excellent +23 in balance Luzon from June to September.

Net optimism about the economy stayed excellent in the Visayas, despite dropping by three points from +27 in June to +24 in September.

Net optimism about the economy stayed excellent in class ABC, up by 11 points from +22 in June to +33 in September.

It stayed excellent in class E, up by eight points from +25 in June to +32 in September.

It also stayed excellent in class D, from +27 in June to +30 in September.

On the change in personal quality of life compared to 12 months ago, the September 2017 survey showed 39 percent believing their lives improved and 19 percent said their lives worsened for record-high net gainers score of +19, classified as very high.

This was two points above the net gainers score of +17 in June, and similar to the record-high +19 in September 2016.

Net gainers had been very high (+10 to +19) in all five surveys since September 2016.