More than 60 percent of adult Filipinos expect this year’s Christmas to be “happy,” up from the 65 percent in the previous year, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed on Wednesday.
The poll, conducted from Nov. 24 to 30, found 68 percent of adult Filipinos expecting a happy Holiday season, while seven percent expect it to be “sad” and the rest, or 25 percent, expect it to be neither happy nor sad.
The 68 percent is three points higher than in 2024, five points lower than 73 percent in both 2023 and 2022, but is 18 points above the record-low 50 percent in 2020.
Those expecting a sad Christmas this year, meanwhile, is down from 10 percent in 2024 and eight points below the record-high of 15 percent in 2020.
The SWS said the expectation of a sad Christmas was customarily at single-digit levels, ranging from 2 percent to 9 percent, and only reached double-digit levels in 2004, 2009, 2011, 2020, and 2024.
Results showed that 45 percent of the respondents are most thankful for good health, 29 percent for family, and 28 percent for being alive.
Following the top three responses people are thankful for are God, food to eat or eating three times a day, coping with daily hardships, all the blessings, job/career/income, a happy life, financial support, prosperity, education, and peace and safety.
Those expecting a happy Christmas were highest in Mindanao at 76 percent, followed by the Visayas at 73 percent, Balance Luzon at 64 percent, and Metro Manila at 64 percent.
The number rose by six points from 58 percent in Metro Manila, five points from 59 percent in Balance Luzon, two points from 71 percent in the Visayas, and three points from 73 percent in Mindanao compared to the previous year.
The non-commissioned SWS survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide.
Of the respondents, 11 percent are youth (age 18-24), 20 percent are intermediate youth (25-34 years old), 20 percent are middle-aged (35-44), 16 percent are 45 to 54 years old, and 33 percent are 55 years old and above.