SWS: 93% of Pinoys to welcome New Year with hope

More than nine out of 10 Filipinos are facing Year 2011 with hope – near the record-high level set in 2002 – according to a survey by pollster Social Weather Stations. The SWS survey, conducted Nov. 27 to 30 but whose results were published in media partner BusinessWorld Wednesday, said the 93 percent who said they were entering 2011 with hope is higher than the 89 percent in 2009. It is just two points off the 95-percent peak in hopefulness in December 2002, the SWS said. On the other hand, those who said they would start the year “with fear" was seven percent, down from last year’s 11 percent. The SWS said Filipinos’ optimism with each coming year has traditionally been high, starting at 87 percent in 2000. It noted the lowest point of 81 percent was in 2004, after which hopefulness rebounded to 85 percent the following year. Levels of optimism stayed flat at 91 to 92 percent for the next three years that followed, and then fell to 89 percent last year. The SWS said Filipinos’ optimism is substantially higher than that of the Germans. It noted that the New Year’s hope survey question was said to have originated in Germany. In Germany, optimism ranged from 31 to 58 percent from 1991 to 2009. The SWS added that German hope has topped 50 percent only five times since 1991. Widespread optimism The SWS said the optimism with the coming year is widespread across all areas and shared by all socioeconomic classes. It improved to 96 percent from 87 percent in Metro Manila; to 94 percent from 90 percent in Balance Luzon [Luzon minus Metro Manila]; to 97 percent from 88 percent in Visayas; and to 89 percent from 87 percent in Mindanao. By socioeconomic classes, the number of those expressing hopefulness rose to 97 percent from 91 percent among the class ABC; 95 percent from 89 percent among the class D or masa; and 89 percent from 87 percent among the class E. On the other hand, the SWS said hopefulness about the New Year was tied to happiness with Christmas. Of the 69 percent looking forward to a cheerful Christmas, 96 percent were upbeat about the coming year. Even among the seven percent who expected a sad Christmas, 77 percent were looking forward to 2011 with hope. — LBG, GMANews.TV