SWS: 73% of Filipinos expect Christmas to be 'happy' in 2022

The percentage of Filipino adults who expect this Christmas to be happy increased from those who did a year ago, the Social Weather Stations has said.

According to the nationwide Social Weather Survey conducted from December 10 to 14, 73% of adult Filipinos expect this coming Christmas to be happy.

The percentage expecting a happy Christmas this year is eight points above the 65% in 2021, and 23 points above the record-low 50% in 2020, the SWS said.

However, it is still 6 points below the pre-pandemic level of 79% in 2019, it added.

This year, seven percent of Filipinos expect Christmas to be sad, while 19% expect it to be neither happy nor sad.

In the same survey, the polling firm found 61% of Filipinos are attending in-person gatherings with family and friends from other homes for the Yuletide Season while 38% will not.

Those who will go out increased from 46% compared to 2021 while those who will stay indoors fell from 51%.

SWS said the expectation of a happy Christmas celebration is higher among those who will join festivities at 80%, higher than the 63% logged for those who will not be doing so.

Like last year, 84% of Filipino adults will not travel to visit their family and friends while 13% will.  More respondents, however, expect a happy Christmas this 2022 at 65%.

More Filipinos also feel happier this year compared to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the SWS said.

It showed 49% of responders are merrier, 28% said they feel the same as before and 21% answered they were happier in the pre-pandemic times.

“Compared to 2021, those saying Christmas is happier now than in pre-pandemic time rose from 26%, while those saying it is not as happy now as before fell sharply from 42%,” the survey said.

Expectations of a happy Christmas rose in all areas of the country but the highest increase was recorded in Visayas with 78% from 68% in 2021. Mindanao followed with 75% from 60% last year; Balance Luzon from 67% to 75% this year and Metro Manila with 71% from the 61% reported in 2021.

The percentage of those who consider the Yuletide Season to be happier now than during pre-pandemic times is likewise highest in the Visayas at 61%, followed by Mindanao at 49%, Balance Luzon at 46%, and Metro Manila at 44%.

Moreover, those who will join physical gatherings surged in all areas and education groups.

SWS said the highest percentage was reported in Balance Luzon at 64% from 48% in 2021; Visayas at 62% from 49%; Mindanao at 57% from 39% and Metro Manila from 56% to 47%.

On the other hand, those who will be attending in-person gatherings with families and friends from other homes fell from 53% in 2021 to 44% in 2022 in Metro Manila, from 53% to 36% in Balance Luzon, from 50% to 38% in the Visayas, and from 50% to 41% in Mindanao.

As for the education groups, more Filipino non-elementary graduates said they will attend in-person gatherings this Christmas with 49%; elementary graduates at 57%;  junior high school graduates at 64% and college graduates at 72%.

“Those who will not be attending in-person gatherings with families/friends from other homes fell from 57% in 2021 to 50% in 2022 among non-elementary graduates, from 53% to 43% among elementary graduates, from 50% to 36% among junior high school graduates, and from 50% to 28% among college graduates,” the poll firm said.

A total of 1,200 Filipino adults participated in the fourth-quarter survey using face-to-face interviews. It has sampling error margins of ±2.5% for national percentages and ±5.7% each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. —NB, GMA Integrated News