Although fewer Filipinos expect their lives to improve in the next 12 months, Malacañang is still grateful that the net personal optimism score classified by an independent pollster remained “excellent”.

Results of the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that 46 percent of Filipinos are optimistic that the quality of life will improve next year, while five percent expect it to get worse.

This yielded a net score of +41, lower by a point from the second quarter record, but still classified by the SWS as “excellent”.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that despite criticism from the opposition, Filipinos still recognize the efforts of the Duterte administration to improve the quality of their lives.

“While the nitpickers and doomsayers would tend to look at the slight dips in numbers, the results, as per the classification of the independent pollster, remain either ‘very high’ or ‘excellent,’ Panelo said in a statement on Monday.

“The Palace, therefore, thanks our people for appreciating President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s tireless efforts to improve and bring about genuine and positive change to the nation,” Panelo said.

Panelo, meanwhile, assured the public that the Duterte administration will continue to carry out programs and projects to alleviate poverty and improve the economy.

“We assure everyone that such encouraging level of optimism would certainly boost the morale of those in the government to deliver on the President’s promises and improve on the significant gains of the past three years until the remainder of PRRD’s term in 2022,” he said.

The SWS survey also found 41 percent of Filipinos are saying the Philippine economy will improve in the next 12 months while 12 percent are saying it will worsen.

This garnered a net score of +28, lower by five points in June and seven points in March.

Net personal optimism refers to expectations in personal quality of life while net economic optimism refers to expectations about the general Philippine economy.

It also showed that 36 percent of Filipinos are saying their lives improved, while 25 percent said their lives worsened in the last 12 months.

This gives a net gainers score of +11, down by two points in June and six points in March.

The September 2019 SWS survey was conducted from September 27-30, 2019 using face-to-face interviews of 1,800 adults. (PNA)