2 hours ago
2
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star
April 1, 2026 | 12:00am
Thousands of residents, including senior citizens, endure long lines to buy rice priced at P20 per kilo at the Bureau of Animal Industry in Quezon City on March 31, 2026
STAR / Noel Pabalate
MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos’ assessment of their personal well-being fell to a historic low in the last quarter of 2025, according to a survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS).
Results of the Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment (ACSA) poll conducted on Nov. 24 to 30 last year showed that the mean score among adult Filipinos dropped to +1.72.
The ACSA is a personal well-being indicator that asks respondents to rate their present life compared with the best and worst periods of their lives.
An assessment of +5 means that the respondent experienced “as good as the best period” in his or her life, while -5 means “as bad as the worst period.”
The +1.72 mean score obtained in the latest survey surpassed the previous record low of +1.97 in May 2021, recorded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When first measured in December 2017, the index posted a record high mean score of +2.82. The score dropped to +1.97 in May 2021, before recovering to +2.76 in December 2023. It again went down to +2.1 in December 2024.
Across areas, the mean score was highest among those in balance Luzon at 2.08, followed by those in Metro Manila at +1.63, the Visayas at +1.47 and Mindanao at +1.29.
It was slightly higher among female (+1.89) than male (+1.56) respondents.
The SWS said the ACSA results are positively related with its separate poll on happiness and satisfaction with life.
It showed that the mean ACSA scores were higher among respondents who said they are “very satisfied” and “very happy” with their lives.
The November 2025 survey found 33 percent of adult Filipinos assessing their life in general as “very happy,” while 28 percent saying they are “very satisfied” with life.
The polling firm also found that the ACSA score is lower among those who experienced involuntary hunger.
