Image: From sws.org.ph
MANILA, Philippines — Ninety-one percent of adult Filipinos are entering 2021 with hope instead of fear, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released Tuesday.
SWS’ latest survey also showed that the remaining seven percent will enter the New Year with fear.
But the 91 percent of optimistic Filipinos, SWS said, is five points down compared to the 96 percent recorded in 2019, and the lowest since the pollster’s record of 89 percent back in 2009.
The seven percent of people who said they will enter 2021 with fear, meanwhile, are three points up from 2019’s record of four percent.
According to the SWS, those who said they are entering 2021 with hope are high among “not poor” and “borderline poor” families with 94 and 93 percent respectively, and 89 percent among “poor” families.
SWS said that the survey was conducted from Nov. 21 to 25 using face-to-face interviews — the first in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 1,500 adult Filipinos (18 years old and above) participated in the survey, and the poll had a sampling error margin of ±2.5 percent for national percentages, ±4 percent for Balance Luzon, and ±6 percent for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
The respondents were asked: “Is it with hopes or with fears that you enter the coming year? (Enter the coming year with hope; enter the coming year with fear.)”