SWS: More Filipinos see better life, economy this year

The Fourth Quarter of 2017 SWS survey found that 49% of adults expect that their “personal quality of life” will progress this year while three percent believe it will get worse, posting a record-high Net Personal Optimism score of +46. (Pixabay Photo)

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos expressed optimism that their life will improve in the next 12 months, a latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed.

The Fourth Quarter of 2017 SWS survey found that 49% of adults expect that their “personal quality of life” will progress this year while three percent believe it will get worse, posting a record-high Net Personal Optimism score of +46.

The result is 4 points above +42 (47% Optimists, 4% Pessimists) in September 2017, matching the record-high level that was first achieved in June 2016.

SWS underlined that the net personal optimism has been excellent (+40 and above) for the past two years, except in March 2017 when it was a very high +36.

The survey also found that 52% are optimistic that the general Philippine economy this year would “get better” while 9% feel it would “deteriorate,” for a Net Optimism about the Economy score of excellent +42.

This is 12 points above the excellent +30 (43% Optimistic about the Economy, 12% Pessimistic about the Economy) in September 2017, and the highest since the excellent +43 in December 2016.

Net Optimism about the Economy has been excellent (+20 and above) since December 2015.

On the change in Personal Quality of Life, SWS noted that 41% said their lives improved and 18% said they worsened for a new record-high Net Gainers score of excellent +23, a four-point increase from the previous record of +19.

Net Personal Optimism rose by one grade from very high to excellent in Balance Luzon, up by 6 points from +39 in September to +45 in December.

In Mindanao, the results were up by 4 points from +46 in September to +50 in December.

It was steady at very high +39 in the Visayas from September to December.

It stayed excellent in Metro Manila with +49, although down by 3 points from +52 in September.

Net Personal Optimism stayed excellent in class ABC, up by 6 points from +53 in September 2017 to +59 in December 2017. It stayed excellent in class D, or the masa [masses], up by 5 points from +42 in September to +47 in December. It stayed very high in class E, although down by 5 points from +38 in September to +33 in December.

Meanwhile, net Optimism about the Economy stayed excellent in Mindanao, up by 10 points from +51 in September 2017 to +61 in December 2017, the highest since the +66 in June 2016.

It stayed excellent in Balance Luzon, up by 17 points from +23 in September to +40 in December. It stayed excellent in Metro Manila, up by 6 points from +30 in September to +36 in December. It also stayed excellent in the Visayas, up by 6 points from +24 in September to +30 in December.

Net Optimism about the Economy stayed excellent in class D, up by 13 points from +30 in September to +43 in December. It stayed excellent in class E, up by 9 points from +32 in September to +41 in December. It also stayed excellent in class ABC, although down by 2 points from +33 in September to +31 in December.

The survey was conducted from December 8-16, 2017 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide with sampling error margin of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages.