MANILA, Philippines — Despite earlier administration claims that the country is winning the war against the coronavirus pandemic, new survey data found that a record-high 43% of Filipinos anticipate that their lives will worsen in the next 12 months.
According to a Social Weather Stations mobile survey released Tuesday, only 24% of Filipinos expect their lives to get better, while another 24% expects things to stay the same over the next 12-month period.
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Coined "optimists" and "pessimists" respectively, the previous record of Filipinos expecting worse life circumstances was 34% in March 2005—the same year as the Camp Bagong Diwa Siege, Hello Garci Scandal, and Valentine's Day bombings—while the 24% "optimists" in May 2020 is but a small improvement over the record-low 20% in both October 2000 and March 2005.
As it stands, only 39% of Filipinos felt that their lives got better towards the end of 2019, a separate SWS survey found.
"The May 2020 Net Optimism score of—18 (Optimists minus Pessimists, correctly rounded) is the worst in survey history, breaking the previous record—13 in October 2000 and March 2005. The score plummeted from +44 in December 2019," SWS said in its report.
The poll was held from May 4 to 10 when Metro Manila and other high-risk areas were under enhanced community quarantine. The survey was conducted using mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 4,010 Filipinos aged 15 years old and above. Sampling error margin is at ±2% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila, ±2 for Balance Luzon, ±3% Visayas, and ±3% in Mindanao.
Outlook related to education and work opportunities
The SWS survey also found the following:
- Net optimism was lower among those with less education
- Net optimism lower among those whose pay was cut and those who lost their jobs
- Net optimism in the Visayas and Mindanao regions was also at a record-low
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority found that 52.7% of Small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the vast majority of registered businesses in the country, were forced to close up shop due to the coronavirus pandemic.
PSA also recorded that 7.5 million Filipinos were left jobless and another 6.4 million underemployed.
Almost a week before the survey results came out, a 19-year-old junior high school student died by suicide in Albay, reportedly over anxiety on where to find the money to pay for his internet connection for school ahead of the Department of Education's "blended learning" program.
READ: Peasant group slams DepEd blended learning amid reports of suicide among rural youth
The education department has been careful to point out that a majority of respondents in an online survey said they were capable of accessing the internet.
Filipinos already feel their lives got worse
The new findings are consistent with an earlier survey that found 83% of Filipinos saying they felt their lives got worse off in the past 12 months, marking what SWS called "the worst trend in survey history."
Another survey also found that most Filipinos—87% of respondents—were generally more afraid of getting and transmitting COVID-19 compared to any other pathogen in the past. SWS also recently found that most Filipinos had to live on government aid, spending their savings, or taking out loans because of the work suspensions in quarantined areas.
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As it stands, the government response to the global pandemic has for the most part seen stories of delayed action, double standards in law enforcement, and incursions on dissent and free speech as some of the country’s most vulnerable strata continue to lag behind, dispirited sans government support.
Despite this, the Duterte administration's satisfaction rating rose to 'excellent' in a March 2020 survey also by SWS. The Palace welcomed the survey results, claiming that it shows how the chief executive is "performing an exceptional job."
If you believe you have come into possible contact with infected patients, you may be directed to the proper office of the Department of Health for advice through the following lines: (632) 8651-7800 local 1149/1150 or (632) 165-364.