While majority of Filipinos expect a happy Christmas, there are five percent who expect a sad Christmas and 21 percent who said it is neither happy nor sad
Majority of Filipinos are expecting a happy Christmas this 2016, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
The results of the latest poll, conducted from December 3 to 6 and released on December 22, revealed that 72 percent, or three in every four, of Filipinos are looking forward to a merry Christmas, saying that “it is better than to receive” gifts this holiday season.
The expectations of the majority of Filipinos for a happy Christmas recorded a percentage point improvement from the 72 percent last year.
This is the third highest expectancy result since the 82 percent recorded in 2002 and 77 percent in 2003.
According to the SWS survey result, five percent of the 1,500 adult respondents expect their Christmas to be sad this year, while 21 percent said it is neither happy nor sad.
The survey firm said that the five percent “sad Christmas” expectations are the lowest since the four percent acquired in 2003.
Meanwhile, the results showed that more Filipinos outside of Metropolitan Manila are expecting their Christmas to be happy.
Majority of the scores was in Mindanao with 78 percent, followed by the Visayas and balance Luzon which both obtained 74 percent.
There was only 66 percent of the respondents in Metro Manila said that they are expecting a happy Christmas.
But whatever the mood of majority of Filipinos this year’s Christmas would be, one thing is much certain – it would be a rainy Christmas because of severe tropical storm, with an international name of Nock-ten and with local name Nina.
According to the 5 a.m. weather bulletin release by state weather bureau PAGASA on December 23, Friday, Nina is at 960 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
The severe tropical storm is moving west northwest toward the direction of Luzon at 25 kilometers per hour.
It was earlier predicted that Philippines will have a rainy Christmas this 2016, along with some advisory on floodings in Metro Manila.
In line with this, the state-run National Power Corporation (Napocor) released water from Angat Dam to maintain the stability of the dam and draw the reservoir elevation to safe levels.
Napocor opened the spillway gate with initial gate opening of 0.5 meters, discharging an estimated 68 cubic meter per seconds to avoid the rise of water levels.
