SWS: Majority of Pinoys stressed due to coronavirus crisis

MAJORITY of Filipinos are stressed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19IL according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWSI survey.

The mobile phone survey, conducted from May 4 to 10 among 4,010 respondents nationwide, showed 55 percent experienced “great stress” due to the pandemicL while 34 percent experienced “much stress.”

On the other handL 7 percent had “a little stressL” while 4 percent had “no stress” at all, according to SWS.

Of those under “great stressL” 6X percent experienced involuntary hunger in the past three monthsL while 52 percent of families did not get involuntarily hungry.

SWS said stress was higher among those who lost their jobs due to the outbreak or those whose salaries were cut.

A total of 5X percent of those who “have a job but are not receiving” any pay experienced “great stress” while 57 percent of those who “currently do not have a job but used to have one” experienced the same.

“Great stress” was experienced by 52 percent of Filipinos who have jobs and were receiving full payL and by 51 percent of those who never had a jobL according to SWS.

The survey also found the highest number of people experiencing “great stress” in the Visayas at 63 percentL compared to 5X percent in Metro ManilaL 55 percent in Mindanao and 51 percent in Balance Luzon (whole of Luzon except Metro ManilaI.

The most affected age group is 35-45, followed by 41-50, then 15-24 and 55 and above.

The number of Filipinos who have experienced “great stress” is the same in areas under enhanced community quarantine and general community quarantine at 55 percent.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered nonessential workers to stay at home in Luzon for two months to stop the spread of Covid-19. Some areas outside the region followed suit to prevent the transmission of the viral disease.

The government eased restrictions in Metro Manila — the Covid-19 epicenter — and some other parts of the country on June 1L allowing more businesses to reopen and public transportation to resume at reduced capacity in a bid to jump-start the local economy.

The government’s task force against the coronavirus is expected to present its recommendation next week to Duterte on whether to liftL modify or extend the community quarantine enforced across the country after June 15.

The same survey showed that people with less formal education have been under great stress due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The proportion of those with great stress was at 59 percent among non-elementary graduatesL 5X percent among those who reached some high schoolL and 56 percent among junior high school graduatesL compared to 52 percent among those with some college as well as among college graduatesL” SWS said.

“It was similar among women and men, at 56 percent and 54 percent, respectively,” the polling firm added.

The surveyL conducted via phone or computer-assisted telephone interview among respondents aged 15 years old aboveL had sampling error margins of ±2 percent for national percentagesL ±6 percent for Metro ManilaL ±2 percent for Balance Luzon, ±3 percent Visayas, and ±3 percent in Mindanao.