According to a nationwide survey by public opinion firm WR Numero, a quarter of Filipinos are unsure if their own lives and their families’ will improve in 2026, highlighting uncertainty among Class E citizens as they enter the new year.
“Some Filipinos are unsure whether life will improve in the upcoming year (25%), while a majority remain optimistic that life will improve in the coming year (55%),” the firm said.
“Two in ten believe that life this year and next year will remain the same (16%), while a small portion (4%) think that life will be worse in the coming year,” it added.
The survey noted that 50% of citizens in income Class E are the least optimistic about their outlook for the new year, followed by Class D at 65% and Class ABC with 66%.
29% of Class E respondents added that they do not have expectations of a better life this year, while 5% expects life to be worse.
The negative outlook for the year was also echoed among Filipinos in Luzon, where 6% anticipates life to be worse in 2026, while 20% predicts the new year will be the same as the previous one.
Visayas had the highest number of respondents claiming to be uncertain about their future at 29%, followed by Luzon at 26%, Metro Manila at 23%, and Mindanao at 20%.
Male participants appeared to be more doubtful about the new year, compared to females, with 27% having lower expectations and 3% less optimistic than women.
IBON Foundation Executive Director Jose Enrique “Sonny” A. Africa said that the uncertainty for the new year, especially within Class E, reflects a deeper structural problem in the country.
“It can only come from the lived experience of economic insecurity and limited prospects by the large majority of Filipinos, in numbers well beyond what grossly understated official poverty estimates admit,” he told BusinessWorld in a message.
“It’s also possible that such sentiments have become heightened with the well-publicized disclosure of the extreme wealth of corrupt contractors, officials and lawmakers,” he added.
In 2025, several government employees received public scrutiny after anomalies in budget allocations were discovered, sparking multiple nationwide rallies.
National President of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino Renecio “Luke” S. Espiritu also linked poverty to the dubious outlook of Filipinos for 2026.
“It is no surprise that Class E respondents—mainly comprised of the jobless, underemployed, the poorest of the poor—are least optimistic,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.
“The government, regardless of whoever is in power, has never resolved poverty and is instead promoting inequality through systemic corruption and anti-poor policies,” he added.
Mr. Africa noted that if the government wants to establish a more positive mindset for the new year, it has to fill the gaps in the social protection system.
“The government can address these structural drivers of uncertainty if it wanted to,” he said. “Support a family living wage and decent work, invest in agriculture to make food cheaper, and invest in Filipino industry to create jobs for the long-term.”
New Year’s ResolutionIn the same survey, the firm revealed that across all income classes, wealth and health remain the top priority in the new year’s resolutions for Filipinos.
Among the resolutions declared by the participants are saving money (38%), taking better care of their health (37%), improving career and income (28%), and quality time with family (27%).
24% of the participants also included starting their own business as part of their goals this year, along with being more optimistic (22%), becoming more active in church and religion (16%), and helping the community (10%).
Meanwhile, others are focusing on learning new skills and personal development.
The survey found that 9% aim to study better, 8% want to learn new skills and hobbies, 6% plan to migrate overseas and learn more about social issues, and 4% are planning to be more active and exercise.
WR Numero interviewed 1,412 Filipinos residing in the Philippines for the latest Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, which was conducted from Nov. 21 to 28, 2025, and has a ±3% margin of error and 95% confidence level.— Almira Louise S. Martinez
