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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider More Pinoys say their lives improved – SWS

More Pinoys say their lives improved – SWS

Published Jan 29, 2020 12:00 am
By Joseph Pedrajas The last quarter of 2019 saw the highest number of Filipinos who said their lives improved, as their number rose based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. People wait for their turm to vote at a voting precinct in Culiat Elementary School in Manila on May 13, 2019. - Filipinos thronged to midterm polls on May 13 that are expected to strengthen President Rodrigo Duterte's grip on power, opening the way for him to deliver on pledges to restore the death penalty and rewrite the constitution. (Photo by Noel CELIS / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN) (Photo by Noel CELIS / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN) The survey conducted from Dec. 13 to 16 last year among 1,200 respondents found that 39 percent of Filipinos said their lives improved (termed by SWS as gainers) in the last 12 months while 21 percent said their lives worsened (termed as losers). These figures translate to a net gainers score (percentage of those saying their lives improved minus percentage of those saying it worsened) of +18, which was classified by SWS as “very high.” According to the survey, the December 2019 result is the highest for that year, compared to September's +11, June's +13, and March's +17. Nonetheless, all these are still rated "very high" (+10 to +19). The seven-point rise in the national net gainers score in December 2019 was due to increases of points in all parts of the country—10 in Balance Luzon (whole Luzon except Metro Manila), seven in the Visayas, 4 in Metro Manila, and 1 in Mindanao. The SWS said net gainers also rose among respondents with higher educational attainment. From September 2019's +22, it became +28 (excellent) in December 2019 among college graduates. Moreover, the net gainers also rose among the self-rated poor and self-rated non-poor. The self-rated poor are those who belong to households whose heads rated their family as poor or mahirap. Among the self-rated poor, the net gainers score rose from net zero (fair) in September to +8 (high) in December, SWS said. Among the self-rated non-poor, it rose from +18 (very high) in September to +30 (excellent) in December, it added. Meanwhile, 48 percent of Filipinos in December said they were expecting their personal quality of life to improve in the next 12 months. This translates to a net personal optimism score (percent personal optimists minus percent personal pessimists) of +44. The December result is higher than September's, with +41 net personal optimism score, but is lower than March's, with +47.
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