The national Social Weather Survey of September 28-October 1, 2023, the most recent quarterly national survey finalized by SWS, found 48% of adult Filipinos saying their quality of life will improve (termed by SWS as “Optimists”), 40% saying it will stay the same (“No Change”), and 6% saying it will worsen (“Pessimists”), in the next 12 months. The remaining 7% did not give an answer.
The resulting Net Personal Optimism score is +42 (% Optimists minus % Pessimists), classified by SWS as excellent (+40 and up).
The September 2023 Net Personal Optimism score was similar to the excellent +41 in June 2023.
The survey question on the respondents’ prediction of their quality of life change over the next 12 months has been fielded 150 times since April 1984. Out of the 150 surveys, the Net Personal Optimism score was negative only 11 times, reaching a historic low of -19 in May 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. It has since trended back upwards to pre-pandemic levels.
The 1-point increase in the national Net Personal Optimism score between June 2023 and September 2023 was due to increases in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside of Metro Manila) and Mindanao, combined with decreases in Metro Manila and the Visayas.
Compared to June 2023, Net Personal Optimism stayed excellent in Balance Luzon, up by 6 points from +44 to +50.
48% of adult Filipinos say their Quality of Life will improve – SWS
It rose from very high to excellent in Mindanao, up by 7 points from +36 to +43.
However, it fell from excellent to very high in Metro Manila, down by 11 points from +41 to +30.
It stayed very high in the Visayas, although down by 9 points from +39 to +30.
Compared to June 2023, Net Personal Optimism stayed excellent among those who either graduated from college or took post-graduate studies, although down by 4 points from +50 to +46.
It also stayed excellent among those who finished junior high school, had some vocational schooling, had some senior high school, finished senior high school, completed vocational school, or attended college, hardly moving from +47 to +46.
It stayed very high among those who either finished elementary or had some high school education, up by 6 points from +32 to +38.
It rose from high to very high among those who either had no formal education or some elementary education, although barely moving from +29 to +30.
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