Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) — Four out of ten adult Filipinos expect the local economy to be in a better shape in the next 12 months, the latest national survey by the Social Weather Stations found.
Data released Tuesday by the pollster showed 42% of respondents say the economy will improve, 28% believe the economy will stay the same, while 18% still expect darker days.
This resulted in net economic optimism Score of +24, which the SWS classified as “high.”
The SWS noted the November 2020 Net Economic Optimism was a “recovery” from the mediocre scores of -9 in July and -5 in September of last year.
It said the rise in net economic optimism was buoyed by the increase in all areas from September 2020: by 51 points in Mindanao, by 28 points in the Visayas, by 24 points in Metro Manila, and by 19 points in Balance Luzon, which refers to areas of Luzon outside Metro Manila.
For November alone, net economic optimism was “very high” in Mindanao at +36 and Metro Manila at +31, “high” in the Balance Luzon at +24, and “mediocre” in the Visayas at +4.
Net economic optimism also increased in all education groups, with high’ scores, the survey found.
The non-commissioned survey was conducted from November 21 to 25 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 Filipinos aged 18 and above,
They were asked: “Over the next 12 months, what do you think will happen to the economy of the Philippines? Would you say it will be better, same, or will be worse?”
Of those surveyed, 600 were from Balance Luzon and 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. The survey has sampling error margins of ±2.5 percent for national percentages, ±4 percent for Balance Luzon, and ±6 percent for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
