SWS: 37% of Filipinos say their quality of life will improve in next 12 months

Thirty-seven percent of Filipinos expressed optimism that their quality of life will get better in the next 12 months, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported on Friday, July 23.

In its latest survey, the SWS, meanwhile, found out that seven percent of Filipinos said the quality of their life will worsen, while 42 percent of them said it will remain the same. Fourteen percent did not have an answer.

The SWS said that this resulted in a net personal optimism score of +30, which is classified as “very high.” As per the pollster’s classifications, scores between +30 and +39 are considered as “very high.”

This is also six points higher than the “high” +24 in May 2021, but five points lower than the “very high” +35 in November 2020. Nonetheless, the report stressed that “the last three surveys show a continuing recovery from historic lows of -19 in May 2020 and -10 in July 2020.”

The SWS noted that the net optimism score in Balance Luzon and Metro Manila increased by 12 points and five points, respectively, while Visayas and Mindanao have steady scores. Combining these resulted in the six-point rise in the national net personal optimism score.

“In June 2021, Net Personal Optimism is higher in Balance Luzon (very high +38) and Metro Manila (very high +34) than in Mindanao (high +24) and the Visayas (fair +15),” the SWS said.

Conducted from June 23 to 16, 2021, the survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults. It had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6 percent for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.