Most Filipinos welcome 2015 with hope – SWS

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Despite the scandals and tragedies that rocked the nation in 2014, 9 out of 10 Filipinos are welcoming the year 2015 with hope, the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

93% of Filipino adults are entering the New Year with hope rather than fear, SWS said, citing results from its 4th quarter survey results released on Friday, December 26.

The figures were similar compared to a year ago, when 94% of survey respondents said they were hopeful about 2014.

The sentiment of optimism for the coming year is above 90% across the country, with 91% sharing it in Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao, and 96% in the rest of Luzon.

The percentages hardly changed in these areas compared to 2013, but were slightly lower by 1 or two percentage points.

Filipinos’ hope for what lies ahead every new year has not dipped below 90% since 2010, and has been above 80% since the SWS poll started in 2000.

A recent survey by another polling firm, Pulse Asia, also had similar findings about Filipinos’ hope for 2015. (READ: 9 in 10 Filipinos hopeful about 2015 – Pulse Asia)

Happy Christmas

The SWS survey also said that the hope for 2015 is higher among those who expected a happy Christmas in 2014 compared to those who expected a sad one.

Of the 71% who looked forward to a happy Christmas in 2014, 95% said they also feel hopeful about 2015.

Meanwhile, 91%* of those who felt that Christmas would neither be happy nor sad (24%) said they would be entering 2015 with hope.

Among the remaining 6% who expected a sad Christmas*, only 76% were hopeful about 2015.

The 4th quarter SWS survey was conducted between November 27 to December 1, 2014, with 1,800 respondents. It has an ±2.3% margin of error for national percentages, ±3.3% for Visayas, and ±5.7% each for the rest of the areas. – Rappler.com

*Editor’s Note: In a previous version of this story we said 95% of those who felt that Christmas would neither be happy nor sad said they would be entering 2015 with hope. This has been corrected to say 91%. We also said a sad “2015” when this should have been 2014 Christmas. The correction has likewise been made. We regret the oversight.