Pinoys thankful for good health – SWS poll

MANILA, Philippines —  As in previous years, Filipinos remain most thankful for good health this holiday season, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll showed.

Forty-seven percent of respondents were thankful for having good health, slightly down from 51 percent in 2023, the Dec. 12 to 18 survey released on Tuesday showed.

Respondents also chose family (25 percent); being alive (24 percent); job, career or income (seven percent); God (seven percent); having food to eat (six percent); coping with daily hardships (five percent); all the blessings (four percent); peace and safety (three percent); happy life (three percent) and prosperity (three percent).

Surviving an illness or surgery, having no worries or problems, education, financial support, love life or spouse, house, friendship and good relationship, material things and motorcycle or vehicles were chosen by one percent or less than one percent of respondents.

Happy Christmas

Meanwhile, fewer Filipinos are expecting a happy Christmas this year, the SWS poll noted.

Sixty-five percent of respondents expect their Christmas to be happy, down eight points from 73 percent in 2023.

Respondents who expect the holidays to be sad rose to 10 percent this year from six percent last year.

Christmas will neither be happy nor sad, the remaining 26 percent of respondents said, which is up from 21 percent in 2023.

Most Filipinos usually expect a happy Christmas, with a record-high 82 percent in 2002, when SWS first included the question in its poll.

The survey results reached its lowest in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it dropped to 50 percent.

Expectations of a happy Christmas fell across geographic areas, the SWS noted.

It was highest in Mindanao at 73 percent, hardly moving from 74 percent last year, followed by the Visayas at 71 percent (from 78 percent), balance Luzon at 59 percent (from 70 percent) and Metro Manila at 58 percent (from 72 percent).

The survey had 2,160 adult respondents and a margin of error of two percent for national percentages.

Sad Christmas

Holiday blues or feelings of sadness, stress and loneliness during the holiday season can be experienced by people, even those who normally love Christmas and New Year celebrations, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

“But it’s OK to feel this way,” the DOH posted on social media.

Common symptoms of holiday blues include recurring feelings of sadness, appetite changes, difficulty concentrating, loss of pleasure in activities and feelings of tiredness or feeling anxious.

“Symptoms are generally milder compared to severe forms of depression,” the agency noted.

Practicing self-care, exercising and socializing may help people cope with holiday blues, the DOH said.

People experiencing holiday blues should limit their alcohol intake, set realistic expectations, create new traditions, prioritize sleep and nutrition and consider therapy, the agency said. — Mayen Jaymalin