Most Pinoys see happy Christmas

MANILA, Philippines - Sixty-four percent of Filipino adults expect Christmas 2012 to be happy while only nine percent expect it to be sad, a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey, conducted from Dec. 8 to 11, also showed 25 percent of Filipinos saying they would like to receive the gift of good health, 18 percent preferred money while 14 percent wanted their family to be together this Yuletide.

Expectations of a happy Christmas are higher in Luzon (71 percent) and in the Visayas (66 percent) than in Metro Manila (58 percent) and in Mindanao (52 percent).

In Mindanao, expectations of a happy Christmas fell by 17 points, from 69 percent in 2011 to a record low of 52 percent this year.

On the other hand, expectations of a sad Christmas increased by four points in Mindanao, from 10 percent in 2011 to a record-high14 percent.

Sad Christmas expectation in Mindanao used to be within the two to 10 percent range from 2002 to 2011.

Compared to 2011, expectations of a happy Christmas in balance Luzon rose by seven points – from 64 to 71 percent. Sad Christmas in the area fell to six percent this year, after it doubled from five percent in 2010 to 10 percent in 2011.

In the Visayas, expectations of a happy Christmas went up by five points from 61 percent in 2011 to 66 percent in 2012. Conversely, expectations of a sad Christmas in the Visayas fell to seven percent in 2012, after it doubled from six percent in 2010 to 15 percent in 2011.

In Metro Manila, expectations of a happy Christmas barely changed from 60 percent in 2011 to 58 percent in 2012. It is usually lower than in other areas.

The survey showed that classes A, B, and C have the highest expectations of a happy Christmas.

“For two consecutive years now, expectations of a happy Christmas are highest in the middle-to-upper A, B, and C class than the “masa” class D and very poor class E,” the SWS said.

Eight in 10 respondents or 80 percent from class A, B, and C expect a happy 2012 Christmas, higher than the 67 percent in class D, and 53 percent in class E.

Compared to 2011, the prospects of a happy Christmas rose in class A, B and C, remained unchanged in class D, and declined in class E.

In class A, B, and C, the prospects of a happy Christmas have been on the rise, from 65 percent in 2010, to 74 percent in 2011 to 80 percent in 2012.

On the other hand, expectations of a sad Christmas in class A, B, and C fell to one percent in 2012, after it rose from zero percent in 2010 to six percent in 2011.

In class D, those expecting a happy 2012 Christmas hardly changed from 65 percent last year to 67 percent. Sad Christmas, on the other hand, returned to seven percent in 2012 after it rose to 10 percent in 2011.

In class E, those expecting a happy Christmas fell from 60 percent in 2011 to record-low of 53 percent this year. It used to be a high 82 percent in 2002, and has been in decline for three straight years from 67 percent in 2010; 60 percent in 2011, and 53 percent in 2012.

Sixty-four percent of adult Filipinos also expected a happy Christmas in 2011, a decline from 69 percent in 2010.

The SWS noted that anticipations of a happy Christmas used to be a high 82 percent in the fourth quarter of 2002. It dropped to 77 percent in 2003, and to the 60’s in the next six years – 64 percent in 2004, 62 percent in 2005 and 2006, 64 percent in 2007, 63 percent in 2008, and 64 percent in 2009.

The Fourth Quarter 2012 Social Weather Survey also showed 46 percent of respondents saying they would like to receive non-material gifts, particularly good health (25 percent).

On the other hand, 43 percent said they would like to receive material gifts, particularly money (18 percent).

The percentages of those who prefer to receive non-material gifts for Christmas rose from 33 percent in 2011 to 46 percent in 2012.

Notably, those who wish for good health increased from 17 percent last year to 25 percent this year, it said.

Those who would like to receive material gifts fell from 52 percent in 2011 to 43 percent in 2012, and those who prefer money dropped from 23 percent before to 18 percent now.

The percentage of those who want good health as Christmas gift is higher in the Visayas (34 percent) and Mindanao (30 percent), compared to balance Luzon (22 percent) and Metro Manila (15 percent).

In Metro Manila, good health (15 percent), money (15 percent), and family togetherness (14 percent) are the three most preferred gifts.

In balance Luzon, good health (22 percent), money (18 percent), and family togetherness (18 percent) also topped the wish list of adults.

In the Visayas, 34 percent would like to receive good health, while 18 percent want money.

In Mindanao, 30 percent would like to receive good health; 17 percent prefer money, and 10 percent wish for family togetherness.

Thirty-nine percent of class ABC would like to receive good health the most this Christmas, higher than the 26 percent in class D and 20 percent in class E.

Next to good health, the A, B, and C classes prefer money (22 percent), and family togetherness (13 percent).

In class D, 26 percent would like to receive good health; 18 percent money, and 14 percent family togetherness, while in class E, 20 percent would like to receive good health, 15 percent wished for money and 13 percent family togetherness.

By age, respondents aged 25 and above are more likely to prefer good health as Christmas gift, than the youth aged 18 to 24.

Good health is most preferred by adults whose age brackets range from 25-34 (27 percent); 35-44 (27 percent); 45-54 (24 percent); 55 and above (30 percent), while only 11 percent of the youth (18-24) say they like it.

The youth’s top preference for Christmas gift, however, is family togetherness (19 percent), followed by gadgets/home appliances (12 percent), good health (11 percent) and money (10 percent).

The SWS poll used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the balance of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

It has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages.