Majority of Pinoys say private sector’s COVID-19 response adequate —SWS

Sixty-three percent of adult Filipinos found the response of the private sector to the coronavirus pandemic “adequate,” the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said Tuesday.

In a national mobile phone poll conducted from September 17 to 20, majority of the 1,249 adult Filipinos surveyed by the SWS said the private sector’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among their customers and employees were adequate.

Meanwhile, 23 percent found the private sector’s pandemic response “inadequate” and 12 percent were undecided.

The number of Filipinos who rated the private sector’s response as adequate hardly varied across areas, educational attainment, and between men and women.

However, more 18 to 34-year-olds said the response was adequate compared to those aged 35 and above.

The SWS also said less jobless adults were satisfied with the private sector’s pandemic response as opposed to those who had a job or livelihood at the time of the survey.

Only 58 percent of jobless Filipinos gave a rating of “adequate,” compared to 67 percent among those with a job or livelihood.

Among the respondents, 52 percent were employed at the time of the survey, 36 percent were jobless or had never been employed before, while 12 percent had never had a job or livelihood in the past.

An earlier SWS poll similarly found that Filipinos found the government’s COVID-19 response adequate. 

The Philippines has tallied 360,775 infections as of Tuesday afternoon, the 20th highest worldwide.  — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News