public surveys

SWS: Only 33% of Filipinos say quality of life ‘improved’ in 2023

Ryan Macasero

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SWS: Only 33% of Filipinos say quality of life ‘improved’ in 2023

PUBLIC MARKET. A consumer buys from a vendor at the Agora Public Market in San Juan City, February 21, 2023.

Jire Carreon/Rappler

More Filipinos, or 45% net gainers score, felt like their quality of life stayed the same. Meanwhile 22% felt like their quality of life declined.

MANILA, Philippines — Only 33% (net gainers) of Filipinos surveyed said their quality of life improved, according to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from June 28 to July 1.

More Filipinos, or 45%, felt like their quality of life stayed the same. Meanwhile 22% felt like their quality of life declined.

The survey, released on October 10, comes as food and basic good prices continue continue to soar.

SWS classifies the net gainers score, which is calculated as the percentage of “gainers – those who reported improved quality of life – minus the percentage of “losers” – or those who reported a decline.

The June 2023 net gainers score was very high at +11. A “very high” rating is when it falls within the range of +10 to +19.

Quality of life gains, however, have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, where SWS reported a score of +18 in December 2019.

This is the 149th time the quality of life survey has been conducted by SWS since April 1983.

According to the SWS, the net gainer score had historically been negative until 2015. It saw a period of consistent positive scores from 2015 point until the COVID-19 pandemic, when the net gainer scores began to drop once again.

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Regional shifts

Metro Manila’s rating improved in this survey, shifting from “high” to “very high,” with a net score of +18.

Balance Luzon recorded a +13 improvement from the March 2023 survey. While the Visayas saw a significant score boost, rising from -14 to +10, elevating its rating from “mediocre” to “very high.”

Mindanao retained its “high” rating, achieving a score of +6, as opposed to the previous +2.

Most net gainers ‘non-hungry’

The survey also found that net gainers were very high among non-hungry families.

It remained at fair levels for overall hungry families, moderately hungry families, and severely hungry families.

When it comes to how respondents rated their own poverty status, the net gainers score varied. It was excellent for those who viewed themselves as “not poor,” very high for those who categorized themselves as “borderline poor,” and fair for those who identified as “poor.”

The second quarter 2023 SWS survey involved conducting face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults across the nation.

The margin of error for national percentages is ±2.5%. The survey covered a range of topics, including inquiries about changes in personal quality of life, experiences of hunger within families, and self-rated poverty. – Rappler.com

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka

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Ryan Macasero

Ryan covers social welfare for Rappler. He started at Rappler as social media producer in 2013, and later took on various roles for the company: editor for the #BalikBayan section, correspondent in Cebu, and general assignments reporter in the Visayas region. He graduated from California State University, East Bay, with a degree in international studies and a minor in political science. Outside of work, Ryan performs spoken word poetry and loves attending local music gigs. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmacasero or drop him leads for stories at ryan.macasero@rappler.com