48% of Filipinos optimistic about their lives improving in next 12 months

MANILA, Philippines — Forty-eight percent of Filipino adults are optimistic their lives will improve in the next 12 months, results of a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations suggested.

The poll, conducted from September 28 to October 1, also indicated that 40% of Filipinos believed the quality of their lives will remain the same, while 6% said it will worsen. Seven percent of the 1,200 respondents did not give an answer. 

As a result, the net personal optimism score in September was +42, classified as "excellent" by the polling firm. September’s score was similar to the “excellent” +41 recorded in June. 

SWS attributed the one-point rise in the national personal optimism score to increases in Balance Luzon—or Luzon areas outside of Metro Manila—and Mindanao, combined with decreases in Metro Manila and Visayas. 

Net personal optimism stayed “excellent” in Balance Luzon, increasing by six points to +50 from +44. It rose to “excellent” +43 from “very high” +36 in Mindanao.

The score remained “very high” in Visayas, although down by nine points to +30 from +39. 

It, however, fell to “very high” +30 from “excellent” +41 in Metro Manila. 

The survey also showed that net personal optimism stayed “excellent” among those individuals who either graduated from college or took post-graduate studies, those who attended college, those who had some vocational schooling, those who attended and finished senior high school, and those who completed junior school. 

It was “very high” among those who either finished elementary or had some high school education, and those who either had no formal education or some elementary education. 

The survey had sampling error margins of ±2.8% for national percentages, ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.