‘Life is worse, but better times ahead’

Most Metro Manilans feel the quality of life has worsened in the past year, but they are also "optimistic that things will get better by next year," according to a non-commissioned opinion poll conducted by Pulse Asia Inc.

"Economic issues continue to be prime among the most urgent national concerns of Metro Manilans," the survey explained. "When asked to choose the top three most urgent concerns among a list of national concerns, nine out of 10 respondents placed economic concerns among their top three concerns."

Forty percent of them said their personal quality of life worsened, and another 40 percent said their condition didn’t change much over the past year. Only 19 percent said their life improved.

Broken down into social classes, the poor or class E said they suffered the most. Forty-seven percent of them said life for them became worse, and another 40 percent said it didn’t change.

Going up the social ladder, 40 percent of class D said their own quality of life got worse, and another 38 percent said things stayed the same.

Thirty-six percent of class ABC or the rich said their quality of life worsened, while another 44 percent said things didn’t change much.

When asked if they expect their personal quality of life to improve in the next 12 months, 42 percent of Metro Manilans said yes, while 38 percent said things would remain the same, and 19 percent said the situation would get even worse.

Most of the optimistic were from the ABC class with 54 percent. The most pessimistic were the poor, with only 21 percent saying life would get better. Most or 45 percent of class D have the same expectation.

Most of the poor – 53 percent – expect life to remain pretty much the same, while another 25 percent said life would turn for the worse in the coming months.

Among the rich or class ABC, 29 percent expect life to be the same, and only 16 percent believe things would get worse.

"Hard times continue for most people in the National Capital Region and the poor continue to experience greater hardships than other people who are materially better-endowed," said the survey, explaining the figures.

"While optimism is reflected by most socio-economic classes, the poorest – class E – remain pessimistic about improvements in their quality of life for the coming year. Economic difficulties are the most urgent of the [Metro Manila] respondents’ expressed personal and national concerns."

Further, the survey also showed that 52 percent of the total respondents feel that the national quality of life or the quality of life of most Filipinos has "deteriorated" over the past year, and only 12 percent said things "got better."

"Twenty-six percent believe the national quality of life will improve while 30 percent are convinced that it will worsen in the coming year," the survey said.

The Pulse Asia poll, conducted March 22 to 26, involved 300 respondents who were randomly selected. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus six percentage points and a 95 percent confidence level.