A SOCIAL Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted in late February of 2019 showed that residents of Angeles City have a generally favorable opinion of the performance of outgoing Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, who is serving his third and last term as local chief executive.

“More Angeleños are saying that their lives are better now compared to one year ago. And even more Angeleños believe their lives now are better compared to 10 years ago or before Mayor Pamintuan started his three terms in office,” said Socrates Sabile, campaign manager of the local political party Partido Abe Kapampangan where Pamintuan is overall chairman.

Sabile said the SWS survey, conducted from February 25 to March 1 this year, asked Angeles respondents this question in Filipino: "Kung ikukumpara ang uri ng inyong kasalukuyang pamumuhay sa nakaraang 12 buwan, masasabi ba ninyo na ang uri ng inyong pamumuhay ay (MAS MABUTI NGAYON KAYSA NOON, KAPAREHO NG DATI, MAS MASAMA NGAYON KAYSA NOON)?"

“About two out of five (38 percent) say that their quality of life now is better compared to 12 months ago (gainers), while 15 percent say it is worse (losers), for an excellent net gainers score (percent better now minus percent worse now) of +22. Almost half (47 percent) say that their quality of life now is the same as before,” the SWS reported.

The SWS reported that “nearly half (48 percent) said their quality of life now is better compared to 10 years ago, while 16 percent say it is worse, for a net score of +32. Thirty-six percent say that their quality of life now is the same as before compared to 10 years ago.”

Based on the SWS terminology for Gainers-Losers, a +20 and above net score is considered Excellent, +10 to +19 is Very High, +1 to +9 is High, -9 to 0 is Fair, -10 to -19 is Mediocre, -20 to -29 is Low, and -30 and below is Very Low.

Sabile said the excellent assessment of Angeleños on the performance of Mayor Pamintuan in office is expected to boost his chances of being elected as congressman under the AbeKa Partylist.

“Even though Mayor Pamintuan will have to leave city hall, Angeleños are not worried because of Pamintuan’s endorsement of incumbent Vice Mayor Bryan Nepomuceno to be his successor as mayor,” he added.

Angeles City Administrator Dennis Pamintuan, for his part, said the results of the SWS survey is proof that the people appreciate the accomplishments of the Pamintuan Administration supported by Nepomuceno.

“Yung iba nangangako palang, ang kasalukuyang administrasyon nagtrabaho na at marami ng nagawa. Kaya trabaho nalang po tayo at huwag puro pulitika,” the city administrator said.

According to the recent SWS survey of Angeles residents, “about two of three (64%) are optimistic that their quality of life will improve in the next 12 months.

In the same survey, one percent of the respondents are pessimistic and 33 percent are expecting the same. This gives an excellent net optimism score (percent optimists minus percent pessimists) of +62.”

Nepomuceno’s runningmate for vice mayor is incumbent city councilor Edu Pamintuan, son of Mayor Pamintuan. All are running as official candidates of the Partido Abe Kapampangan.

Of the 48 percent respondents who said that their quality of life improved, 52 percent said there are more livelihood, jobs, productivity (52%) now and 21 percent cited that they have better lives and a better economy while 11 percent cited an improved peace and order situation in the Community.

A similar SWS survey conducted nationwide conducted from Dec. 16 to 19 last year found 37 percent of the 1,440 respondents saying their lives had improved (gainers) over the past 12 months while 25 percent said their lives worsened (losers), resulting in a net gainers score (gainers minus losers) of “very high” +12.

Nearly half or 45 percent were optimistic that their quality of life would improve in the next 12 months, as against 5 percent who said it would get worse, for an “excellent” net optimism score (optimists minus pessimists) of plus +40, an upgrade from the “high” +27 (36 percent optimists, 9 percent pessimist) in September.

The SWS survey conducted in Angeles City has a sample size of 300 validated voters in the city. At the 95 percent confidence level, this implies an error margin of plus or minus 6 percent at the city level.

The survey utilized face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire with visuals.