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| Reference Material |
| 19% of Pinoys want to leave, say RP is hopeless Banner story, no byline June 26, 2002, Philippine Daily Inquirer FILIPINOS are voting with their feet. One out of five Filipinos sees no hope in the country and wants to migrate, a private polling firm disclosed yesterday. Pulse Asia Inc. said 19% of Filipinos agreed with the statement, �This country is hopeless and if it were only possible I would migrate to another country and live there.� Twenty percent were undecided while 60% disagreed with the statement. According to the survey, a bigger percentage of the upper (and middle�ACA) classes (ABC) wanted to leave the country. Thirty one percent said they wanted to migrate, apparently out of despair. Twenty six percent were undecided. This means 57% of the upper (and middle�ACA) classes cannot categorically say there is hope for the country. Pulse Asia polled 1,200 people aged 18 and above nationwide from March 22 to April 10 this year. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3% and a confidence level of 95%. Residents of Metro Manila were also among those likely to leave. Twenty six percent of Metro Manilans, the highest level among the regions, felt the country was hopeless. Felipe Miranda, Pulse Asia director for research, said that in past surveys, only about 14% of respondents nationwide expressed hopelessness and wanted to leave. Starting June 2001, however, pollsters began observing that 20% of Filipinos wanted to leave as they saw no hope in the country. �After two EDSAs (people power revolts) and four post-Marcos presidents, Filipinos are still hopeless,� Pulse Asia said in a statement���. ***** Unlike residents of Metro Manila, only a small percentage of those living in rural Luzon want to leave. Eleven percent of the respondents from rural Luzon agreed with the statement that the country was hopeless and that they would migrate if given the opportunity. A total of 74% disagreed and 15% were undecided. Among the socio-economic classes, the poorest and least educated Class E least agreed with the statement. Only 12% of Class E felt the country was hopeless while 65% still held out hope; 22% were undecided. Pulse Asia said those who have knowledge about life abroad � be it first-hand or from a family member � seemed to agree more strongly. Of the 5% of Filipino adults who said they had worked abroad, 29% felt the country was hopeless and wanted to leave (again�ACA). This is 10 percentage points higher than the national agreement rating of 19%. Similarly, of the 18% of Filipino families which have members who are currently or (were) previously abroad, 29% agreed with the statement. ***** |