More Pinoys think globalization good for RP - SWS

More Filipinos think globalization is good for the economy, contrary to activists’ assertions, according to an international survey in which local pollster Social Weather Stations took part. "In the Philippines, 49 percent believe that globalization is mostly good and 32 percent call it mostly bad. One in five (20 percent) responded 'don't know'," the SWS said in a statement posted on its website. The survey was done late last year but released only Tuesday. The pollster also said that the survey showed most Filipinos think countries that sign trade agreements should be required to maintain minimum labor standards. The SWS noted that support for globalization was "remarkably strong worldwide." "In the Philippines, 55 percent say trade pacts should maintain minimum working conditions while 30 percent say they should not. Filipinos were not asked about environmental standards," the SWS said. On the other hand, the survey showed Filipinos are divided on complying with World Trade Organization (WTO) decisions on trade disputes if it rules against the Philippines. Respondents from the 18-nation survey were asked if "globalization, especially increasing connections of our economy with others around the world, is mostly good or mostly bad" for their country. The SWS said its survey was done Sept. 24 to Oct. 2 last year, in cooperation with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org (WPO). In the Philippines, the Social Weather Survey used face-to-face interviews of a national sample of 1,200 statistically representative households (300 each in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao), from 240 geographical spots selected from all regions. In every case, positive answers (mostly good) outweigh negative ones (mostly bad), the SWS said. The highest levels of support for globalization are found in export-oriented economies such as China (87 percent), South Korea (86 percent) and Israel (82 percent). The SWS survey also showed that in general, education affects Filipinos' opinion on globalization issues. Support for globalization is higher among high school or college graduates, with 53-54 percent saying globalization is mostly good for the Philippines. In contrast, only two-fifths (41-45 percent) of non-elementary and non-high school graduates share this view. The survey likewise found that majorities worldwide want to include minimum working standards in trade agreements "Strong majorities in developing nations around the world, especially in Asia and Latin America, agree that trade agreements should require governments to maintain 'minimum standards' for working conditions or for protection of the environment," the SWS said. The support for including standards on working conditions and the environment is highest in the United States (93 percent favor labor standards and 91 percent favor environmental standards) and in Israel (91 percent favor labor standards and 93 percent favor environmental standards). Among the four Asian countries included in the survey, the support for both labor and environmental standards is strongest in China, 84 percent and 85 percent respectively. On support for labor standards, SWS said most of the college graduates in the Philippines support labor standards, with 60 percent in favor of them, as compared to 54 percent among those who had some college education, 56 percent among those who had some high school education, and 49 percent among non-elementary graduates. On the issue of compliance with adverse WTO rulings, the survey found a substantial variation. After being told that the WTO was "established to rule on disputes over trade treaties," respondents in eight countries were asked: "If another country files a complaint with the World Trade Organization and it rules against [survey country], as a general rule, should [survey country] comply with that decisions or not?" The US public shows the highest support for obeying WTO decisions (73 percent yes, 22 percent no), while South Korea is the only country where a majority opposes complying with adverse WTO decisions (52 percent no, 37 percent yes). "Filipinos are divided with 48 percent in favor of compliance with adverse WTO rulings and 49 percent not in favor," SWS said. SWS said education increases compliance with adverse WTO decision, with 51-54 percent of those with high school degree or more in favor. In contrast, 53 percent of those with high school education or less support non-compliance. By area, most (58 percent) of Metro Manila respondents say the Philippines should comply with adverse WTO rulings, whereas most (51-52 percent) of those in Balance Luzon and Visayas oppose it. Mindanao respondents are split. By class, most people in the Classes ABC favor compliance with adverse WTO rulings, but most of the Class E oppose it. Class D are divided. The survey is the second in a series of reports based on the findings of an international survey conducted in 2006 by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org. It was conducted in cooperation with polling organizations in China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Russia, France, Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel, Armenia and the Palestinian Territories. "These include roughly 56 percent of the world population," the SWS said. The participating national survey institutes agreed to hold off public release of their national findings until the global results were completed and could be cited for comparison. Error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6 percent for regional percentages should be applied. -GMANews.TV