SWS: Nearly 7 of 10 Pinoys expect happy Christmas

Nearly seven out of 10 Filipinos expect a happy Christmas this year, even as majority place a premium on non-material gifts, according to a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations. The SWS said its survey last Nov. 27 to 30, the results of which were published on Thursday in its media partner BusinessWorld, showed 69 percent of Filipinos expect a cheerful Christmas. It said this was an improvement from last year’s 64 percent, and finally breached the “flat" 62-64 percent range recorded in the last six years. Also, the survey showed some seven percent anticipate a bleak holiday - better than last year’s 10 percent that was a repeat of 2004’s all-time high. On the other hand, respondents who said their Christmas would neither be happy nor sad declined to 24 from 26 percent. Still, this year’s survey results failed to break the record happiness peak of 82 percent in 2002, the year the SWS began surveying expectations about Christmas. The latest survey results compare with a similar Pulse Asia poll conducted last October and released earlier this month, where 39 percent said Christmas 2010 would be more prosperous, 50 percent said it would be no different from 2009 and 11 percent said it will be poorer. Happy expectations lowest in NCR According to the SWS, expectations of a happy Christmas remain lowest in the National Capital Region at 55 percent but the result was up from last year’s 50 percent. The same margin of improvement was recorded for Metro Manilans figuring on a bleak holiday (11 percent from 16). Happiness with Christmas among residents in the metropolis has been lower than in the Visayas, Mindanao and the Balance of Luzon since 2003, the SWS said. On the other hand, improvements were noted in the rest of Luzon (70 percent from 62 percent) while in Mindanao and the Visayas the scores stayed unchanged at 71 and 73 percent, respectively. Expectations of a sad Christmas fell to five percent from eight percent in the rest of Luzon; to six percent from nine percent in the Visayas; and seven percent from nine percent in Mindanao. Those who were neither happy nor sad in their holiday outlooks totaled 33 percent (from 34 percent) in Metro Manila, 24 percent (from 29 percent) in of Luzon minus Metro Manila, 21 percent (from 18 percent) in the Visayas and 20 percent (from 19 percent) in Mindanao. By socioeconomic class, cheerful expectations were highest among the class D or the masa at 70 percent, followed by class E at 67 percent and class ABC at 65 percent. Pessimism was at seven percent among the class D, eight percent in class E while no one said they expected a sad Christmas among the ABC class. Those who said Christmas would neither be happy nor sad accounted for 35 percent among the class ABC; 22 percent in class D; and 26 percent in class E. Happiness with Christmas was the highest among those aged 18-24 years old at 82 percent, better than the 68 percent for those in the 25-34 years old and 35-44 years old segments, 64 percent for the 45-54 years old and 67 percent for those 55 years old and above. It increased in all age brackets when compared to 2009, with the biggest increase of 14 points seen among the youth, SWS said. Non-material presents Asked an open-ended question on what they considered the most important gift they could give their loved ones, 57 percent said non-material presents. “Love/affection" was the top scorer at 29 percent, followed by “family togetherness/family relations" at 17 percent. Also mentioned were good health (three percent); peace and happiness; trust, understanding or better relationships; and prayers in general which scored two percent each, and guidance or support (one percent). Meanwhile, 30 percent preferred material gifts, with 10 percent choosing clothing or shoes, 5 percent food and gifts in general, four percent money, two percent jewelry and gadgets or household amenities, and one percent picking toys and house and/or lot. Love or affection was the most important Christmas gift in all areas and socioeconomic classes: 39 percent in Visayas, 28 percent in Metro Manila, 29 percent in Luzon and 20 percent in Mindanao; and 31 percent among the class ABC and D, and 24 percent among the class E. The SWS surveyed 1,200 adults nationwide for the latest poll. The error margins used were ±3% for national and ±6 percent for area percentages. — LBG, GMANews.TV