The latest Sukat ng Bayan survey finds that 45% of respondents from all over the Philippines disagree with the proposal to open limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas in the country. 41% disagree, while the remaining 14% declared uncertainty about their stance on the issue.
Notably, the percentage of respondents that disagree with the proposal are higher in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, at 50% and 46% respectively. Majority of the respondents in Visayas and Mindanao, on the contrary, lean towards agreement with the proposal at a percentage of 56% and 62% respectively. (Please refer to Table 1.)
TABLE 1
PROPOSED LIMITED FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES IN LOW-RISK AREAS IN PH
March 13-24, 2021 / National online survey
| AGREEMENT WITH PROPOSED LIMITED FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES | N | Agree | Can’t Say | Disagree |
| National Capital Region (NCR) | 912 | 34% | 16% | 50% |
| Balance Luzon | 784 | 42% | 13% | 46% |
| Visayas | 160 | 56% | 11% | 33% |
| Mindanao | 144 | 62% | 11% | 27% |
| TOTAL | 2000 | 41% | 14% | 45% |
Q32. Sang-ayon ka ba o hindi sa pagkakaroon ng limitadong face-to-face classes sa ilang lugar sa bansa?
NOTES: (1) Agree = Totally Agree % plus Somewhat Agree %; Disagree = Somewhat disagree % plus Totally Disagree %
(2) Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding off
In comparison, the Sukat ng Bayan survey (n=3,198) last December 2020 showed that 51% of respondents were against the proposal. The numbers in the recent survey show a slight increase in those more amenable to the limited face-to-face arrangement. Kindly note that respondents of the Q4 2020 survey were only asked if they agree or disagree with the proposal and did not have a Can’t Say option.
It is important to note that the number of COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 related deaths are significantly higher in the National Capital Region (NCR) and its surrounding provinces like Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna.
As of this writing, 24 higher education institutions have been given the go signal by the Commission on Higher Education to proceed with limited face-to-face classes for certain programs like medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other similar fields. 14 of these schools are located in Luzon, 7 in the Visayas, and 3 in Mindanao.
Sukat ng Bayan Q1 2021
Sukat ng Bayan is a non-commissioned, quarterly nationwide opinion polling conducted by iOptions Ventures.
This survey reached and asked 2,000 respondents from all over the Philippines questions about their current economic situation and outlook, perceptions on current political and governance landscape, COVID-19 related concerns in the country, and other timely socio-political issues.
Sukat ng Bayan Q1 2021 was conducted online from March 13-24, 2021. With convenience sampling employed for this survey, the researchers used Facebook as its main recruitment channel in order to reach the widest audience. In view of this, results from this online survey shall not be construed as representative of the Filipino population.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza
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