Pinoys happy with their love life; those with 'no love life' at record-high - poll

While more than half of Filipinos, about 54 percent, are happy with their love life, the number of Filipinos with no romantic involvements may have reached a record-high, according to a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations. The SWS survey, conducted from Dec. 8 to 11 and the results of which were released Wednesday, the day before Valentine's Day, also showed 78 percent of Filipinos believe love just comes and is not planned.  However, though 54 percent of adult Filipinos were happy with their romantic life in December 2012, this figure is lower than 2011's all time high of 59 percent, 2010's 55 percent and, 58 percent in 2002. In 2012, 33 percent of Filipinos said their love life could be happier - higher than the 31 percent in 2011 and 32 percent in 2002, but lower than the 44 percent in 2004 and 34 percent in 2010. The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, ±6% for area percentages applied to the survey. Record-high Also in 2012, 13 percent of Filipinos said they have no love life - higher than the nine percent in 2011, 11 percent in 2004 and 2010, and 10 percent in 2002. "Those who say they do not have a love life (walang 'love life' o buhay-pag-ibig) rose from 9 percent in 2011 to a record-high 13 percent in 2012," the SWS said. The survey also showed that 58 percent the men assess their love life to very happy, compared to 49 percent of the women who also said they had a very happy love life. On the other hand, 36 percent of the women wish their love life could be happier, slightly more than the 30 percent of the men who also wish for a happier love life. SWS added the percentages of those who do not have a love life are about the same among men (12 percent) and women (14 percent). Among men, only two out of five (43 percent) of youths 18 to 24 years old are very happy with their love life. This was lower compared to majorities of the older men who are also very happy with their love life: 54 percent among those 25-34, 62 percent among 35-44, 63 percent among 45-54 and 60 percent among 55 and above. About one-third (33 to 34 percent) of men aged 25-44 wish that their love life could be happier, compared to one-fourth of the older men 45 years old (27 percent) and the youngest 18-24 group (27 percent). The survey also showed 31 percent of men 18-24 years old say they do not have a love life, higher than the older age groups among men (5 to 12 percent). Among women, only two out of five of the youth 18-24 (41 percent) and the oldest 55 and above (42 percent) are very happy with their love life, lower compared to women aged 25-34 (56 percent), 35-44 (54 percent), and 45-54 (49 percent). About half (46 percent) of the women 18-24 years old say they could be happier with their love life, higher compared to all other age groups which ranged from 27 to 40 percent. On the other hand, 31 percent of the women 55 and above do not have a love life, higher compared to the rest of the age groups which ranged from 4 to 15 percent. Married or living-in Overall, the survey said adults who are married or with live-in partners have a happier love life than adults who are single, or those without a spouse or partner. Sixty-three percent of married adults, and 54 percent of those with live-in partner, are very happy with their love life, compared to only 31 percent of those who are single. Two-fifths (44 percent) of those with live-in partner wish their love life could be happier, higher compared to 36 percent among those married and 20 percent among singles. Half (50 percent) of the single adults say they do not have a love life. Only 2 percent among those with live-in partner and 1 percent among those married say this. "Happiness with love life tends to be higher among married men (67 percent) than among married women (58 percent)," the SWS said. Also, it said there are slightly more married women (40 percent) than married men (32 percent) who wish that their love life could be happier. Single, happy men Single men are happier with their love life than single women, 35 to 26 percent. Over half (53 percent) of the single women do not have a love life, slightly higher than the 46 percent of the single men who also do not have a love life. The survey also showed that 84 percent of those with live-in partners say "love just comes to a person." This was slightly higher than the 76 percent of those who are single and 77 percent of those who are married. On the other hand, one-fourth of those single (23 percent) and those who are married (24 percent) believe that love is planned and pursued, higher than the 16 percent among those with live-in partner who believe the same. Among men, the belief that love just comes to a person is stronger among those who are living in with partner (84 percent), compared to those who are married (71 percent) and those who are single (67 percent). Slightly more married men (33 percent) and single men (28 percent) consider that love is planned and pursued until one finds it, compared to men with live-partner (16 percent). Among women, the percentages of those who believe that love just comes to a person are high and hardly vary regardless of their civil status, ranging from 83 to 84 percent. 'Planned and pursued' The survey showed 78 percent of adult Filipinos believe that "love cannot be planned and pursued, it just comes to a person." In contrast, 22 percent believe that "love is planned and pursued until one finds it." When asked to choose which of the two statements is closer to their view, 78 percent of respondents chose "Love cannot be planned and pursued, it just comes to a person (Ang pag-ibig ay hindi pinaplano at hinahabol, dumarating na lang ito sa isang tao)." The other 22 percent chose "Love is planned and pursued until a person finds it (Ang pag-ibig ay pinaplano at hinahabol hanggang makamit ito ng isang tao)." Also, the SWS said the belief that love just comes to a person is strong among both men and women, though with notable differences. It said 84 percent of women believe that love just comes to a person, slightly higher than the 72 percent of the men who also believe this. But 28 percent of men believe that love is planned and pursued until one finds it, compared to only 16 percent of the women who believe so. Belief that love just comes to a person is stronger among men aged 35 and above (73 to 75 percent), compared to younger men aged 18-34 (66 to 67 percent). Conversely, belief that love is planned and pursued is slightly stronger among the younger men aged 18-34 (33 to 34 percent) than among older aged men 35 and above (24 to 26 percent). Among women, belief that love just comes to a person is slightly stronger among the younger 18-44 group (87 to 88 percent), compared to those aged 45 and above (75 to 82 percent). Also, about one-fifth (18 to 25 percent) of women aged 45 and above believe that love is planned and pursued, higher than the 12 to 13 percent of women aged 44 and below who believe the same. — DVM, GMA News