Despite continuing pandemic and escalations in fuel and food prices in April 2022, more Filipinos were optimistic about the economy and their quality of life in the next 12 months. However, this did not yet factor in the results of the May elections.
At the tail end of the Duterte administration and despite just coming from a series of lockdowns that shattered their lives and livelihoods, more Filipinos (at 46 percent in Luzon but outside Metro Manila) were optimistic that the economy would improve in 12 months than those who thought otherwise.
The Social Weather Station survey of April 19-27, 2022 showed the optimists (46 percent balance Luzon, followed by Metro Manila and Mindanao (both at 43 percent) ) and Visayas (18 percent) surpassing those who said they were pessimistic of any economic improvement (at 28 percent) and those who said it would worsen in 12 months (at 6 percent).
SWS called the optimism level excellent, compared with the “mediocre” -9 percent level of optimism in July 2020.
Net Economic Optimism varies somewhat by educational attainment. It is highest among those who either finished junior high school, had some vocational schooling, had some senior high school, finished senior high school, completed vocational school, or attended some college (or junior high school graduates) (+43), followed by those who either had no formal education or some elementary education (or non-elementary graduates) (+39), those who either finished elementary or had some high school education (or elementary graduates) (+37), and those who either graduated from college or took post-graduate studies (or college graduates) (+34), the SWS said.
The April 2022 survey found 44 percent of adult Filipinos saying their quality of life will improve (termed by SWS as “Optimists”), 39 percent saying it will stay the same (“No Change”), and 4 percent said it will worsen (“Pessimists”), in the next 12 months.
Net Economic Optimism is higher among Personal Optimists (+63) than among those who said “No Change” (+31) and among Personal Pessimists (-35) .
Optimism rating on poor versus non-poor
The April 2022 survey also found 43 percent of Filipino families rating themselves as Mahirap or Poor, 34 percent rating themselves as Borderline Poor (by placing themselves on a horizontal line dividing Poor and Not Poor), and 23 percent rating themselves as Hindi Mahirap or Not Poor.
43% of Filipino families feel Poor; 34% feel Borderline Poor, 23% feel Not Poor,” as of May 18, 2022, the SWS said.
Net Economic Optimism was +54 among adults who belong to families who consider themselves as Not Poor, compared to +39 among those who belong to families who consider themselves as Borderline Poor and +32 among those who belong to families who consider themselves as Poor.
Compared to December 2021, Net Economic Optimism stayed excellent among adults who belong to Self-Rated Not Poor families, up by 5 points from +49 to +54.
However, it fell from excellent to very high among adults who belong to Borderline Poor families, down by 5 points from +44 to +39.
It also fell from excellent to very high among adults who belong to Self-Rated Poor families, down by 9 points from +41 to +32.
Socio-demographics
Applying census weights and correctly rounded, 14 percent of the respondents are from Metro Manila, 45 percent from Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila), 19 percent from the Visayas, and 23 percent from Mindanao.
Forty-nine percent are from urban areas, and the balance of 51% are from rural areas.
By education, 13 percent had at most some elementary education, 26 percent either finished elementary or had some high school education, 48 percent either finished junior high school, had some vocational schooling, had some senior high school, finished senior high school, completed vocational school, or attended some college, and 13 percent either graduated from college or took post-graduate studies.
The First Quarter 2022 Social Weather Survey was conducted from April 19-27, 2022, using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Face-to-face is the standard interviewing method for Social Weather Stations; the only exceptions were early in the pandemic when movement restrictions made face-to-face impossible and mobile phone interviews were conducted. Normal face-to-face field operations resumed in November 2020. The sampling error margins are ±2.6% for national percentages and ±5.2% for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Tags: #Filipinos, #SWSApril2022survey, #optimistversuspessimists