Forty-eight percent of Filipinos expect their quality of life to improve in the next 12 months, based on the third quarter of 2023 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.

The survey, fielded from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents nationwide, found that 40 percent of Filipinos expect no change in their quality of life, while 6 percent expect it to worsen.

The remaining 7 percent did not provide an answer.

SWS used the term “optimists” for those who believe their quality of life will get better and “pessimists” for those who think their quality of life will worsen.

“The resulting Net Personal Optimism score is +42 (percentage of optimists minus percentage of pessimists), classified by SWS as ‘excellent,’” it said in a report released on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

It also noted that the September 2023 Net Personal Optimism score was similar to the excellent +41 in June 2023.

Scores of +40 and higher are classified as “Excellent,” while scores of +30 to +39 are classified as “Very High,” scores of +20 to +29 as “High,” scores of +10 to +19 as “Fair,” scores of +1 to +9 as “Mediocre,” scores of –9 to zero as “Low,” and scores of –10 and below as “Very Low.”

Net optimism increases in Balance Luzon, Mindanao; decreases in Metro Manila, Visayas

SWS explained that the one-point increase in the national net personal optimism score between June and September was due to increases in Balance Luzon—or Luzon outside of Metro Manila—and Mindanao, combined with decreases in Metro Manila and the Visayas.

Compared to June 2023, net personal optimism stayed excellent in Balance Luzon, up by six points from +44 to +50, while it rose from very high to excellent in Mindanao, up by seven points from +36 to +43.

However, it fell from excellent to very high in Metro Manila, down by 11 points from +41 to +30.

Meanwhile, it stayed very high in the Visayas, although down by nine points from +39 to +30.

‘Excellent’ net optimism among college, junior HS graduates

SWS also noted that compared to June 2023, net personal optimism stayed excellent among those who either graduated from college or took post-graduate studies, although down by four points from +50 to +46.

It also stayed excellent among those who finished junior high school, had some vocational schooling, had some senior high school, finished senior high school, completed vocational school, or attended college, hardly moving from +47 to +46.

Likewise, it stayed very high among those who either finished elementary or had some high school education, up by six points from +32 to +38.

Meanwhile, it rose from high to very high among those who either had no formal education or some elementary education, although barely moving from +29 to +30.