Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Seeing themselves worse off today than they were a year ago amid soaring food and oil prices, most Filipinos consider themselves “losers,” according to a survey conducted this month by a private polling group.

“Difficult times persist for most Filipinos with big majorities considering themselves and the nation as a whole as losers,” Pulse Asia Inc., which conducted the survey, said in a statement released Wednesday.

Pulse Asia noted that “more Filipinos now see themselves as losers than in March 2008.” The percentage of losers increased from 59 percent from the last survey round to 75 percent in the latest survey.

The polling group said there were more losers in nearly all geographic areas and socioeconomic classes this month than three months ago.

Covering 1,200 respondents aged 18 years and older, the survey was conducted from July 1 to 14 using face-to-face interviews. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The survey asked respondents to complete the following sentences: “Compared to the past 12 months, can you say that your way of life now is…” and “Compared to the past 12 months, can you say that the way of life of most Filipinos now is…” and were asked to choose between the responses, “Better now,” “Same as then” and “Worse now.”

Those who answered “Better now” were referred to as “gainers” while those who answered “Worse now” were referred to as “losers.”

Three in every four adult Filipinos (75 percent) believe they are worse off today than they were a year ago.

More than four in every five (84 percent) believe that other Filipinos in general were similarly worse off today than last year.

Economy worsened

This gloomy assessment of one’s and other people’s well-being can be due to the fact that nearly nine in 10 Filipinos (86 percent) believe that the economy has worsened between 2005 and 2008, despite claims of economic growth by the Arroyo administration.
The belief that the economy has worsened is held by “big to overwhelming majorities” across all areas and classes, according to Pulse Asia.

Pulse Asia earlier released results from the same survey that showed that only one in every 10 adult Filipinos (13 percent) believed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s past State of the Nation Addresses were truthful. The results also showed that about half of Filipinos (53 percent) distrusted her, and 48 percent disapproved of her performance.

The survey also found that about two in every three Filipinos (64 percent) expected themselves to be worse off over the next year. An even bigger percentage (79 percent) expressed pessimism about the national situation over the next year.

More pronounced pessimism

Pulse Asia noted that Filipinos’ sense of pessimism was “more pronounced” as their gloomy outlook on both expected personal and national quality of life each increased by 27 percentage points.

Belief that quality of life, both on the personal and national levels, has worsened over the past year was expressed by majorities across all geographic areas and socioeconomic groupings.

On their personal quality of life, 84 percent in Mindanao, 83 percent in the Visayas, 73 percent in Luzon outside Metro Manila, and 58 percent in Metro Manila said it was “worse now” than a year ago. Seventy-eight percent in Class E, 76 percent in Class D and 64 percent in Classes ABC also considered themselves “losers.”

Only 7 percent nationwide said their personal quality of life improved over the past year, while 17 percent said it did not change.

With regard to the state of the nation, 94 percent in Mindanao, 92 percent in the Visayas, 80 percent in the rest of Luzon and 72 percent in Metro Manila said that the situation of most Filipinos was “worse now” than a year ago.

The same view was held by 86 percent in both Class E and Classes ABC, and 84 percent in Class D.

Quality of life

Only 3 percent nationwide said that the quality of life of most Filipinos improved over the past year, while 12 percent said it did not change.

The percentage of Filipinos saying the national quality of life has worsened also increased by 13 percentage points, from 71 percent in March to 84 percent in July.

Belief that personal and national quality of life would be worse off in the coming year was held by “near to big majorities” across all areas and socioeconomic groupings.

Seventy-three percent in Mindanao, 72 percent in the Visayas, 60 percent in the rest of Luzon and 48 percent in Metro Manila, as well as 68 percent in Class E, 63 percent in Class D and 56 percent in Classes ABC expect themselves to be worse off in the year ahead.

Eighty-eight percent in the Visayas, 85 percent in Mindanao, 76 percent in the rest of Luzon and 69 percent in Metro Manila, along with 86 percent in Classes ABC, 81 percent in Class E and 78 percent in Class D likewise expressed pessimism about the national situation in the coming year.

Compared with March, Filipinos’ sense of pessimism regarding their personal situation became more pronounced in the latest survey, up by 27 percentage points from 37 percent to 64 percent.

Personal pessimism

Personal pessimism increased across all regions and classes, with increases ranging from 16 percentage points to 34 percentage points.

Pessimism regarding the national situation also rose by 27 percentage points between March and July from 52 percent to 79 percent, as the overall level of optimism dropped by 9 percentage points, from 13 percent to 4 percent.

On the state of the economy between 2005 and 2008, respondents were asked, “If you compare the state of the national economy now with that in 2005 or three years ago, would you say that the state of the national economy is…” and were presented the same response options as the first two questions.

Ninety-three percent each in the Visayas and Mindanao, 81 percent in the rest of Luzon and 76 percent in Metro Manila said that the national economy was “worse now,” as did 86 percent each in Classes D and E and 83 percent in Classes ABC.

Deterioration strongly felt

Among those who said that the national economy has deteriorated in the past three years, 81 percent said they “strongly felt” this deterioration in their respective lives. Fifteen percent said they also felt it “somewhat.” Only 3 percent said they did not feel it at all.

Among those who said that the economy had grown since 2005, 48 percent said they felt this growth “somewhat” in their personal lives, while 29 percent said they “strongly felt” it. Another 23 percent said they did not feel the growth at all.

Compared with March, those who said the economy was worse now than three years ago increased from 66 percent to 86 percent.

Kate Pedroso, Inquirer Research