Pulse Asia’s April 3 – 5, 2007 Pre-election Survey Media Release on Quality of Life

Pulse Asia is pleased to share with you some findings from the April 2007 Pre-Election Survey on Quality of Life. We request you to assist us in informing the public by disseminating this information on Filipino perceptions, opinions, sentiments, and attitudes relating to current developments here and abroad.

Based on a multistage probability sample of 1,800 representative adults 18 years old and above, Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a +/- 2.3 percentage points error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following error margins at 95% confidence level: +/- 6% for each of Metro Manila, Northern Luzon and Southern Luzon; +/- 8% for each of Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas; +/- 6% for Mindanao without ARMM and +/- 8% for ARMM. Face-to-face field interviews for this project were conducted from April 3 to 5, 2007. (Those interested in further technical details concerning the surveys’ questionnaires and sampling design may request Pulse Asia in writing for fuller details, including copies of the pre-tested questions actually used.)

As the interviews for this pre-election survey were being conducted, news headlines were dominated by reports concerning the hostage-taking incident on 28 March in Manila involving 26 schoolchildren, the President’s call for a campaign ceasefire during the Holy Week, the show of force of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslims Democrats (CMD) during their national convention held on 02 April, the temporary release of Bayan Muna Party-List Representative Satur Ocampo on a P100,000 cash bond as ordered by the Supreme Court, the appointment of Mr. Enrique Agana as acting director of the National Printing Office (NPO), the series of attacks launched by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Masbate on 03 April, and continued reports of extrajudicial killings which led President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to extend up to end of June 2007 the authority of the Melo Commission to investigate reports of extrajudicial killings across the country.

The survey’s sampling design and questionnaire are the full responsibility of Pulse Asia’s pool of academic experts and no religious, political, economic or any other form of partisanship has been allowed to influence the survey design, the findings generated by the actual surveys or the subsequent analyses of survey findings.

Pulse Asia undertook this pre-election survey on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort.

The personal quality of life (QOL) of a small majority of Filipinos (54%) has worsened between 2004 and 2007

Despite the Arroyo administration’s pronouncements that there have been significant improvements in the country’s economic situation over the past several years, a small majority of Filipinos (54%) claims that they are worse off now than three years ago – marginally higher than the January 2007 figure (49%). From a majority of 49% to a much bigger majority of 62% across the country’s geographic areas and socio-economic classes express this view – with the exception of those in the best-off Class ABC where almost the same percentages say that their personal situation has either worsened or remained the same between 2004 and 2007 (42% versus 43%). Additionally, 35% of Filipinos are of the opinion that their personal circumstances have remained the same as in 2004. Only about one in ten Filipinos (11%) feels that his/her personal situation is better now than in 2004. Over a three-year period, the percentages of those whose personal quality of life (QOL) improved or remained the same are practically constant but the percentage of those whose personal circumstances worsened increases from 46% in April 2004 to 54% in April 2007. (See Table 1) (See Table 2)

About two in three Filipinos (65%) feel the situation of most of their countrymen is worse now than in 2004

Pulse Asia asks respondents not only about the condition of their families, but also about their perception of the QOL of most Filipinos and their families taken collectively. As regards the national QOL, a sizeable majority of Filipinos (65%) considers this to have worsened over the past three years – a sentiment expressed by sizeable to big majorities (60% to 76%) across the country’s geographic areas and socio-economic classes. On the other hand, around three in ten Filipinos (27%) are of the opinion that the QOL of most Filipinos did not change – positively or negatively – between 2004 and 2007 while only 7% say the same has improved during this time. The current overall figures are nearly the same as those recorded in January 2007. Thus, it appears that the reported gains from the economic reforms put in place by the Arroyo administration are not yet being felt by most Filipinos. (See Table 1) (See Table 2)