'IT SHOULD BE 100%'

Palace not surprised 83% of Pinoys claim life has gotten worse in last 12 months

Malacañang on Thursday said it was not surprised by the result of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing a record 83% of Filipinos believe life has gotten worse in the past 12 months.

“It should be 100%, because there is COVID-19 and the economy was closed,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a televised briefing.

“Hindi na kami surprised diyan. It should be 100% kasi minimum two months na complete lockdown tayo. Lahat po tayo nahihirapan, at naiintindihan po ‘yan ng Presidente,” he added.

According to SWS, the 83% figure is higher than the previous 62% recorded in June 2008.

Conducted from May 4 to 10 on working-age Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the SWS Mobile Phone Poll shows 10% of the 4,010 respondents said their life was the same while only 6% said it got better.

The SWS said the 6% proportion of those who said their life got better is also a new all-time low, breaking the previous record of 9% posted in July 1985.

In mid-March, the government implemented enhanced community quarantine in many highly urbanized areas, including Metro Manila, which banned mass transport and prohibited mass gathering, resulting in work stoppage in many industries.

The lockdown has resulted in over seven million Filipinos losing their jobs, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), a government entity.

Likewise, the PSA said that the underemployment rate — the proportion of employed persons wanting additional work — increased to 18.9% from 13.4% in the same period last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philippines has 27,238 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 6,820 recovered while 1,108 died.

The Philippines recorded its first COVID-19 cases in January 30 this year. Local COVID-19 transmission was registered on March 5. Lockdown, in various forms, was implemented from mid-March to May 31. --KBK, GMA News