I have seen the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) Social Weather Survey of March 24-31, 2026 which found that 50 percent of adult Filipinos felt that their lives got worse, 26 percent said it was the same, and 23 percent saying it got better, compared to twelve months ago. According to SWS, this translates to a “Net Gainers” score of -26 (percent Gainers minus percent Losers, correctly rounded). This is 19 points down compared to the November 2025 Social Weather Survey, and the lowest in over four years, “since the extremely low -44 in September 2021.”

The SWS media release available in their website noted that this survey question on the respondents’ assessment of their change in quality of life over the past 12 months has been asked 164 times since April 1983. The specific question asked of respondents is this: “Comparing your quality of life these days to how it was 12 months ago, would you say that your quality of life is “Better now than before, same as before, or worse now than before?”

SWS further noted that historically, the “Net Gainers” score was generally negative until 2015, when it turned positive, before declining sharply with the onset of Covid-19 lockdowns. It recovered to near pre-pandemic levels in June 2023 and again from June to December 2024, but fell to single-digit levels from January to April 2025.

There are many ways to read the result of this SWS survey; “statistics are pliable,” as Mark Twain once quipped. But reading the report made me reflect on the fact that these highs and lows are staples of our existence. They are part of life. Reflecting on my own experiences, I've always leaned on this simple idea: life is like a river, not a straight road—full of rapids, calm stretches, and unexpected bends, but it keeps flowing no matter what. When things are soaring, like hitting your company’s targets or landing a profitable contract, I ride the wave with gratitude, soaking it in without clinging too tight, because I know the current will shift. And when the downs hit—mistakes that turn into lost opportunities, business losses, or just those grinding and painful days—I remind myself it's all part of the same flow, teaching me resilience and pulling me toward something that will allow me to recover. This mindset taught me about trusting the journey, staying open-hearted, and paddling forward with a quiet faith that every high prepares you for the lows, and every low grooms you for the next high.

And this outlook is something that I have adopted in all aspects of my life—that the ups and downs are just the natural rhythm of living, like the sunrises and storms we all face, and the right attitude is staying steady and present through them all.

When good times roll in—something great happens in your personal life, a random act of kindness from a stranger, or that unexpected small things like finding cash you forgot about—I savor it fully, express real thanks, and let it fuel my energy without expecting it to last forever.

In the difficult stretches, like lost loved ones, or those times when you feel like the entire world is conspiring against your happiness, I focus on what I can control: small steps forward, reaching out to people who matter, and trusting what my Nanay Curing taught me: adversity builds quiet strength. This isn't about faking a smile; it's a passionate belief that every joyful moment reminds you of your capacity for happiness, and every low teaches you how to rise wiser, keeping you balanced and open no matter what comes next.

I understand why the failures and disappointments hit hard, sparking anger or even an urge for retribution—it's human to lash out when tribulation blindsides you, especially after investing so much heart. But this is one thing I have learned facing all the obstacles I have experienced in politics, business, and life: rage clouds your vision, it drains your energy, and holds you captive in a cycle that prevents any real rebound.

The Social Weather Survey in fact paints the picture that life is just like the weather—unpredictable, ever-changing, and impossible to control. This outlook, I think, allows us to enjoy life. It helps us pack an

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