SWS: Pinoys remain optimistic lives will improve in 2012

Despite the problems they continue to face, Filipinos remain optimistic their lives will improve this year, with nearly two of five Filipinos looking forward to the next 12 months, according to a survey by pollster Social Weather Stations. The SWS survey, conducted December 3 to 7 but published only on Friday on its media partner BusinessWorld, also indicated Filipinos remain upbeat with regard to the economy. SWS said net personal optimism was at a “high” +29, with 37 percent of the respondents looking forward to the next 12 months (optimists) versus 8 percent who were of the opposite view (pessimists). It noted the +29 was a point below September’s “very high” +30 (39 percent optimists, 9 percent pessimists), adding the indicator ranged from “high” to “very high” over the last two years. For net personal optimism, the SWS classifies scores of +30 and above as “very high” and +20 to +29 as “high” as these are higher than what is normally expected, or are above the category containing the median and mode (termed as “fair” and ranging from +10 to +19). In the case of net economic optimism and net gainers-losers, “fair” is assigned to the negative category (-9 to zero) since it is above what is normally expected, while “mediocre” is assigned to the category between “fair” and “low.” When asked about their outlook on the economy, 30 percent said they were hopeful and 16 percent were not, for a “very high” net economic optimism score of +14. This was down eight points from September’s +22 (35 percent optimistic, 14 percent pessimistic), but still in line with the “very high” scores recorded in six out of seven surveys since June 2010. Lives improved Fewer respondents said their lives had improved (gainers) in the last 12 months: 22 percent from 26 percent in September. The proportion of those claiming things had worsened (losers, 32 percent) remained unchanged, while the net gainers ratio fell to a “mediocre” -10 from the “fair” -9 three months earlier. The SWS said this indicator had ranged from “mediocre” to “fair” since March 2010, but used to be “low” or “very low” from March 2007 to December 2009. Region and class Net personal optimism remained “very high” in Metro Manila, picking up a point to +35 from September. An identical +35 result was recorded in Balance Luzon [Luzon minus Metro Manila], unchanged from three months earlier. But the score fell in the Visayas to a “fair” +17 from September’s “high” +24. A one-point dip to +25, still “high,” was recorded in Mindanao. By socioeconomic class, optimism improved among the masa or class D: up two points and into “very high” territory at +31. It stayed “very high” among the ABC despite falling three points to +47 but in class E a nine-point plunge led to the score entering “fair” territory at +19.   Decline in net economic optimism The SWS survey showed net economic optimism declined in all regions and almost all classes. It fell a point to +21 in Metro Manila, seven points to +14 in Mindanao and 11 points to +16 in Balance Luzon, still “very high” according to the SWS. A five-point drop in the Visayas led to a score of +4, also still “high.” The slump totaled seven points among the masa but the result remained “very high” at +14, the SWS said. It added a slightly larger eight-point fall came among the class E but again the score stayed “very high” at +12. Net economic optimism was unchanged at a “very high” +24 among the class ABC. The net gainers score worsened in the Visayas and Metro Manila to -21 (“low”, from a “mediocre” -15) and -14 (“mediocre, from a “fair” -8), respectively. It stayed “fair” in Mindanao and Balance Luzon, up two points to -7 in the former and down six to -8 in the latter. Declines were also recorded in terms of class, although net gainers stayed “very high” among the ABC (+21 from +24), “fair” among the masa (-8 from -5) and “low” for the E category (-24 from -20). The Dec. 3-7 poll utilized face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide. Sampling error margins were ±3% for national and ±6% for area percentages applied to the survey.  — LBG, GMA News