The survey, conducted nationwide from November 30 to December 3 but released only on December 28, showed Metro Manila as the most hopeful, at 95%; Visayas at 94%; the rest of Luzon at 91% and Mindanao at 87%.
The survey asked “Angdarating na taon ba ay inyong sasalubungin na may pag-asa o pangamba?” (Is it with hope or with fear that you enter the coming year?).
“In Mindanao, however, hopefulness for the New Year slightly declined, from 90% in 2006 to 87% in 2007,” a press statement from the SWS said.
In Metro Manila, “hopefulness of the New Year is up eight points, from 87% in 2006 to
95% in 2007, the highest recorded New Year hope in the area since the 92% in 2002.”
Hopefulness for 2007 and 2008 remained the same in the rest of Luzon (91-92%) and Visayas (93-94%).
Last year, NCR was the least hopeful, at 87%. This year, it is the most hopeful, at 95%.
Mindanao was least hopeful in 2000 about their expectations for 2001, with only 78% saying they were hopeful in facing 2001.
By yearend of 2001, Mindanao was approaching 2002 with more hope, at 86%. In 2002, hopefulness for 2003 was even higher, at 94%.
The year 2003, however, turned out to be a “war” year for some parts in Southwestern Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), as government forces attacked Buliok in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, displacing at least 400,000 in the immediate environment and neighboring provinces.
In 2003, hopefulness for 2004 declined to 92% and dropped even more by yearend 2004 with only 87% of Mindanawons hopeful of a better 2005. By yearend, fewer people approached 2006 with hope, at 84%. But expectations by yearend improved as 90% of Mindanawons approached 2007 with hope.
New Year hope is also high across socio-economic class, “88% among the middle to upper classes ABC, 92% among the masa D class and 91% among the very poor class E,” the SWS said.
The survey also showed that the top two resolutions nationwide for 2008 are “to have a better family life” (12%) and “to work harder or look for work” (11%).
“To work harder/look for work/venture into business” (19%) is the top response in Metro Manila, while “To have a better family life” (15%) is the top New Year’s resolution in the rest of Luzon.
In Mindanao, “To improve attitude or to become a better person” is the top resolution (12%) in Mindanao and in the Visayas (11%).
“The survey question on hope versus fear about the New Year was patterned after the polls conducted annually by the Allensbach Institute of Demoskopy, a pioneering opinion research center in Germany. Since 1991, German hope in the coming year has not exceeded 58%,” the SWS said. (MindaNews)
