EIGHTY-EIGHT percent of Filipinos are optimistic the Philippines will overcome the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an April 7 to 12 survey of the Philippine Survey Research Center (PSRC) showed.
The survey, presented on Monday by presidential spokesman Harry Roque during his virtual press briefing, also showed that only 3 percent are pessimistic about the country overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic while 9 percent could not say if they are optimistic or not.
Optimism was highest among the socio-economic Class C2 and D with 89 percent, each followed by Class ABC1 (88 percent) and E (86 percent), and among those living in the Southern Luzon/Bicol regions with 92 percent followed by those from North and Central Luzon (89 percent), Visayas (88 percent), Mindanao (87 percent) and Metro Manila (86 percent).
Majority of those from the age group 30 to 39 (94 percent), 18 to 29 (87 percent) and 40 and up (86 percent) were also optimistic about the Philippines overcoming COVID-19 along with the majority of the male (89 percent) and female (88 percent) group.
Roque said the PSRC also found that 46 percent of Filipinos expected that the duration of COVID-19 crisis would be between two to three months while 35 percent expect it to be over in a month’s time. Twelve percent expect it to be between four to six months while 7 percent said it would be over in 7 months.
Majority of the people from the socio-economic class C2 (55 percent) and D (50 percent), along with a near majority (48 percent) from Class ABC1, expect the duration of COVID-19 crisis would be between two to three months while majority of those from Class E (62 percent) expect it to be over in a month’s time.
A near majority among the different age groups (44 percent to 49 percent) and gender (44 percent to 48 percent) believes that the crisis should be over in two to three months times.
Majority of those from the Southern Luzon and Bicol regions (52 percent) said the crisis would be over in two to three months, which is shared by a near majority from Metro Manila (49 percent), the Visayas (48 percent) and Mindanao (45 percent).
Roque said the PSRC survey also found that majority of the worries of Filipinos about the quarantine are “micro-economic” related issues like lack of money for daily needs (77 percent), not enough food at home (66 percent), loss of job or livelihood (63 percent), shortage of goods in the market (55 percent), high prices of goods (54 percent), and depletion of savings (53 percent). A majority or 51 percent also worry about lack of response from government.
Other concerns raised by the respondents are corruption in government (44 percent), lack of vitamins and medicines (43 percent), lack of public transportation (39 percent), inability to go to hospitals (36 percent), lack of space for proper social distancing (33 percent), lack of water sanitation (24 percent), being caught outside curfew or without quarantine pass (23 percent), abuses by police or military (19 percent), and restriction to express opinions against government (17 percent).
The survey also showed that 67 percent of the respondents had experienced lacking money for their daily needs during the quarantine period, loss of job or livelihood (57 percent), depletion of savings (52 percent), not enough food at home (50 percent), shortage of goods in the market (49 percent), and lack of public transportation (45 percent).
Other difficulties encountered by Filipinos during the quarantine period are lack of help from government (42 percent), lack of vitamins and medicines (43 percent), lack of space for proper social distancing (27 percent), corruption in government (25 percent), inability to go to hospitals (22 percent), lack of water sanitation (14 percent), restriction to express opinions against government (12 percent), being caught outside curfew or without quarantine pass (10 percent), and abuses by police or military (6 percent).
Roque said a significant finding in the survey is that “the current crisis has had a serious impact on the economic life” of Filipinos with 55 percent saying they have temporarily stopped working, 46 percent saying they lost a big part of their income and 34 percent saying they lost their jobs. Twenty percent said they are now working part-time.
President Duterte had initially placed Metro Manila under community quarantine last March 13 that he expanded to an enhanced community quarantine in Luzon from March 16 to April 15. The lockdown had been extended until April 30 in Luzon.
Last week, the President again extended the enhanced community quarantine until May 15 in Metro Manila, CALABARZON and Central Luzon regions and in the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Albay, Catanduanes.
Duterte had also placed under enhanced community quarantine the provinces of Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Antique, Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, Cebu, Davao del Norte, and Davao de Oro and the cities of Cebu and Davao until May 15 pending further review and assessment of the situation in those areas until April 30. If the COCIS-19 situation improves, the “high risk” classification can be reduced to “moderate risk” or “low risk.”
All other areas previously under the enhanced community quarantine that were not mentioned are classified as “moderate risk” or “low risk” and will be placed under general community quarantine starting May 1.
