MORE Filipinos are convinced their lives improved in the past 12 months, according to the December poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
The survey, conducted from December 16 to 19 last year, found 37 percent of Filipinos believed their lives "improved," while 25 percent said their lives "worsened."
The poll results yielded a net gainers score of "very high" +12, showing a recovery from September 2018's "fair" -2 and June 2018's "high" +5.
The same SWS survey showed that 45 percent were hopeful that their personal quality of life would improve in the next 12 months, while five percent expected it to get worse.
This led to a net personal optimists score of "excellent" +40, up by 13 points from "high" +27 recorded in September 2018.
The SWS also noted that 43 percent of Filipinos were optimistic that the Philippine economy would get "better," while 11 percent expressed feeling that it would "deteriorate," bringing the net economic optimists score to "excellent" +32.
The latest net economic optimists rating rose by 11 points from "very high" +11 registered in September 2018.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Palace welcomed the poll results, bragging that it was "not surprising" to know that President Rodrigo Duterte "continues to win the hearts and minds of the Filipino people as he enters the midpoint of his six-year presidential term."
"These results also validate previous research studies showing a decline in hunger, a decrease among Filipino families who consider themselves as 'mahirap,' and an overwhelming number of Filipinos entering 2019 with hope," the Palace official said.
Panelo also said the survey conducted by SWS was another "repudiation" against the skeptics, left-leaning groups, militant Church members and the political opposition, "who ignore or refuse to heed the people’s voice and see nothing good in the President’s tireless efforts to improve and bring about genuine and positive change to the nation."
Nevertheless, Panelo said the Duterte government would strive harder to improve the lives of the Filipino people.
"Despite these positive results, the administration is not resting on its laurels and remains steadfast and committed to achieving its goal of inclusive growth to provide a comfortable life for the Filipino people," he said.
SWS interviewed 1,440 respondents using sampling error margins of ±2.6 percentage points for national percentages, and ±5 percentage points each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. (SunStar Philippines)