MANILA, Philippines – Nine out of 10 Filipino adults are more hopeful than fearful about 2015, a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey shows.
At least 93 percent of the 1,800 adults surveyed said they are entering New Year with hope than fear, according to the fourth quarter report conducted November 27 to December 1.
This is down from 94 percent surveyed in 2013.
The pollster has noted that hope for the New Year has generally been high – it was 87 percent when the survey was first conducted in 2000, 88 percent in 2001, an all-time high of 95 percent in 2002, 90 percent in 2003, 81 percent in 2004, 85 percent in 2005, 91-92 percent from 2006 to 2008, 89 percent in 2009, 93 percent in 2010, 95 percent in 2011, 92 percent in 2012, 94 percent in 2013 and 93 percent in 2014.
The pollster said New Year hope is widespread in all areas – 91 percent in Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao, and 96 percent in Luzon.
New Year hope hardly changed in all areas, SWS said.
In Metro Manila, New Year hope was at 91 percent in 2013 and 2014, and 93 percent in 2012 – after two consecutive record-highs of 96 percent in 2011 and 2010.
In Luzon, hope was at a record-high 97 percent in 2014 compared to the 96 percent in 2015.
In Visayas, 93 percent of respondents were hopeful in 2012 and 2013, compared to the 97 percent in 2010 and 96 percent in 2011.
In Mindanao, 91 percent of respondents were hopeful in 2014 compared to 92 percent in 2013, 85 percent in 2012 and a record-high 94 percent in 2011.
The pollster also noted that New Year hope is higher among those who expected a joyful Christmas this year.
Almost all or 95 percent of the 71 percent expecting a happy Christmas also look forward to the coming year.
Of the 24 percent who said Christmas would be neither happy nor sad, 91 percent see 2015 with hope.
Meanwhile, of the 6 percent expecting a sad Christmas, 76 percent were hopeful for 2015.
On the other hand, about a fourth or 24 percent of those with sad Christmas said they regard New Year with fear, compared to four percent among those with happy Christmas.
Another pollster Pulse Asia said 88 percent of 1,200 respondents or 9 in 10 Filipinos said that they are looking forward to 2015 with hope.
The survey, which was conducted from November 14-20, showed that only one percent of respondents will face 2015 without hope and 11 percent are “ambivalent” on the matter.
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