Collective sentiment
There is no best explanation for the results of the Pulse Asia report covering the holiday season other than the exceptional confidence and trust the Filipinos bestow on their new set of leaders.
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There is no best explanation for the results of the Pulse Asia report covering the holiday season other than the exceptional confidence and trust the Filipinos bestow on their new set of leaders.
The recent Pulse Asia's Ulat ng Bayan November 2022 survey results are very interesting. To me, they reflected the Filipinos' collective sentiment of confidence and optimism toward our new set of leaders.
In its "Holiday Season and the Year Ahead" surveys conducted from 27 November to 1 December 2022 among 1,200 respondents, Pulse Asia reported that:
(1) "Among Filipino adults, almost the same percentages say their family's Holiday (Christmas) celebration this year will be either more prosperous than last year (43 percent) or just as prosperous as what they had a year ago (42 percent)"; and
(2) "Hopefulness is nearly universal among the country's adult population as far as the New Year is concerned as virtually all Filipino adults (92 percent) will face the year ahead with hope, a sentiment echoed by 89 percent to 99 percent across geographic areas and by 86 percent to 94 percent in the various socio-economic classes. Ambivalence on the matter is expressed by 8 percent of adults while less than 1 percent say they will face the coming new year without hope."
The surveys show simply that more than 9 out of 10 adult Filipinos will spend their holidays this year feeling hopeful and prosperous.
As to provide a broader perspective of the public sentiment, Pulse Asia noted that during the time that the surveys were conducted, the following events have transpired or are transpiring:
(1) The Philippine Statistics Authority reported in its 4 November 2022 release that inflation surged to 7.7 percent in October 2022 due to an increase in consumer goods prices;
(2) On 16 November 2022, President Marcos launch his "Kadiwa ng Pasko", a program to link agricultural producers directly to consumers, particularly during the holiday season;
(3) Meralco and MWSS reported rates increases, while oil companies implemented a series of price rollbacks;
(4) Labor groups asked for P100 across-the-board salary increase;
(5) On 28 November 2022, Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senior Majority Floor Leader Sandro Marcos, among others, filed the Maharlika Investment Fund Bill;
(6) Public elementary and high school students returned to full face-to-face classes on 2 November 2022, after more than two (2) years of forced school shutdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic;
(7) The "Buhay ay Ingatan, Droga'y Ayawan" anti-illegal drugs advocacy program by the Department of the Interior and Local Government under Secretary Benhur Abalos was launched on 26 November 2022; and
(8) The Senate approved the 2023 General Appropriations Bill on the third and final reading on 23 November 2022.
As I said, in my humble opinion, there is no best explanation for the results of the Pulse Asia report covering the holiday season other than the exceptional confidence and trust the Filipinos bestow on their new set of leaders. If we are to relate this latest survey to previous ones, we can safely deduce that the Pinoys were happy with last year and satisfied with the overall performance of President Rodrigo Duterte; and that this year, they have happily transmitted these strong sentiments of trust and confidence to the Marcos-Duterte alliance as indicated by their optimism for the coming new year.
This is a clear message that the Pinoys are very much satisfied with the present political status quo and how it shaped up to be after the May 2022 national elections. This is a vote of confidence to President Marcos, Vice-President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senate President Miguel Zubiri and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo — to the three main branches of government. This bodes well for the country for 2023 and beyond because if we maintain these positive sentiments of Filipinos, we can achieve political and socio-economic stability.
A Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to all!
