Health officials are encouraging people not to discard their face masks as these will continue to protect them from COVID-19 despite the improving public health situation in recent months. (File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — A record-high 83% of Filipinos are hopeful that the worst is over with the COVID-19 pandemic, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found.
The survey, the results of which were released on Wednesday, also showed that 16% of Filipinos fear that the worst of the pandemic might still come.
The survey was conducted from April 19 to 27 through face-to-face interviews with 1,440 Filipinos aged 18 and above sampled nationwide.
They were asked this question: “Which of the following best describes your feelings about the COVID-19 crisis in the Philippines? Do you think the worst is behind us or the worst is yet to come?”
Those who believe the worst of the pandemic had already passed increased by 3 percentage points compared to the December 2021 record of 80 percent. The current figure nearly doubled from when the SWS first introduced the question in May 2020.
It inched up by three percentage points from 83% to 86% in Mindanao and rose from 75% to 81% in the Visayas.
In Metro Manila, however, it remained at 82% and hardly changed in Balance Luzon from 81% to 82%.
This was also the sentiment of 86% of non-elementary graduates, according to the SWS.
On the other hand, the fear that the worst of the health crisis may still come was most prevalent among college graduates at 18%.
Still worried about catching COVID-19
Respondents were also asked: “Are you worried or not worried that you or someone in your immediate family might catch COVID-19?”
The survey found that 88% of Filipinos are still “somewhat or a great deal” worried about contracting COVID-19.
And 74% said they were “a great deal” worried, while 14% said they were “somewhat” worried.
Compared to its previous record in December 2021, this showed an uptick from the 72% who said they were “very worried” about the virus, and a slight dip from the 16% who said they were only a bit worried.
Fears of being infected by the virus eased in Metro Manila from 87% to 83% but stayed put in the Visayas at 94%.
Meanwhile, it barely moved from 84% to 85% in Balance Luzon.
Worries of catching COVID-19 also grew among college graduates from 83% to 94% and among non-elementary graduates from 82% to 91%.
The sampling error margins of the survey were ±2.6% for the national percentages and ±5.2% for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
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