Despite problems and challenges, eight out of 10 Filipinos expect a “happy” Christmas this year, a survey by the Social Weather Stations said.
The nationwide survey conducted from Dec. 8 to 16 among 1,200 respondents found out that 77 percent expect a happy Christmas this year.
On the other hand, five percent expect it to be sad. Eighteen percent were neither happy nor sad.
The SWS said those expecting a happy Christmas this year is the highest since 2003 also at 77 percent and four percentage points up from 73 percent in 2016.
SWS first surveyed people’s expectation of a happy Christmas in 2002 at an all-time high of 82 percent.
The number of Filipinos expecting a sad Christmas this year was the same as 2016 and the lowest recorded since the four percent in 2003.
Expectations of a happy Christmas this year are 84 percent in Mindanao, followed by 80 percent in the Visayas, and 75 percent in the rest of Luzon. In Metro Manila, expectations of a happy Christmas are 69 percent.
The survey also found out 81 percent prefer while 19 percent said it is better to receive gifts this Christmas.
The number of respondents who said it is better to give than receive Christmas gifts this year is the highest-recorded since SWS started asking the question in 2006 and up by six points from 75 percent in 2016.
The percentage of those who said it is better to give Christmas gifts are higher in Metro Manila (85 percent), rest of Luzon (84 percent), and Visayas (83 percent) than in Mindanao (69 percent).
Those who expect a happy Christmas is higher among Class D or “masa” (78 percent) and Class E or the “very poor” (75 percent) than among middle-to-upper classes ABC (71 percent).
The SWS said that expectations of a happy Christmas are high across age groups – 80 percent among 18- to 44-years-old, 80 percent among aged 18-24, 79 percent among 25-34-years-old, and 81 percent among 35- to 44-years-old.
It is 73 percent among 45- to 54-years-old and 76 percent among 55-years-old and above. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz)