MANILA, Philippines - "If you were to choose one of the following two persons to be your lifetime partner, who would you pick: A person who is rich but ugly, or a person who is good-looking but poor?"
Such was the question posed last November 27-30, 2010 by Social Weather Stations in its Fourth Quarter 2010 Social Weather Survey.
A total of 1,200 adults nationwide were asked this question via face-to-face interviews, and overall results showed that 51% prefer to have someone rich but ugly, and 46% prefer to be with someone good-looking but poor. Two percent did not give an answer.
And, when asked whether they were happy with their love life, majority of Filipinos (55%) said they were not just happy, but were "very happy" with their love life.
Thirty-four percent said their love life "could be happier". Eleven percent, meanwhile, admitted to not having any love life.
Women value wealth more than looks?
It's the women who seem to value wealth more than looks. The SWS survey showed that 57% of the women respondents said they would choose to have a life partner who is rich but ugly rather than good-looking but poor (41%).
Men, on the other hand, seem to value beauty more. Fifty-two percent of the men respondents signified they would choose someone good-looking but poor as a life partner, rather than one who is rich but ugly. Forty-six percent of them, meanwhile, picked "rich but ugly."
Looking at the ages of the respondents, SWS said in a statement: "Among men, majorities of those 55 years old and above (60%), 45-54 (54%) and 18-24 or the youth (56%) would choose a life partner who is good-looking but poor rather someone rich but ugly. In contrast, 53% of the men aged 25-34 are more likely to choose a life partner who is rich but ugly than someone good-looking but poor."
Among the middle aged (34-44) men, it's almost a tie. Fifty percent said they would go for someone rich but ugly, and 49% would go for the good-looking but poor.
For the women respondents, the "rich but ugly" choice runs high across all age groups, but it is highest among the young women aged 15-24 (71%).
This "rich but ugly" choice then decreases by age for women respondents:
- for those aged 25-34: 61%
- for aged 35-44: 57%
- for those aged 45-54: 51%;
- and for those aged 55 and above: 50%.
Most of the respondents in Metro Manila (55%) and in Balance Luzon (55%) went for the "rich but ugly" life partner choice.
Interestingly, in Mindanao, most of the respondents (56%) chose "good-looking but poor".
In the Visayas region, it's almost a tie with 50% choosing "rich but ugly" and 49% going for someone "good-looking but poor".
Among the middle- to upper-classes (ABC), and the masa (class D), the "rich but ugly" won, with 57% for classes ABC, and 52% for class D.
Most of the respondents (51%) belonging to class E (very poor), chose "good-looking but poor".
Happier love life
In 2010, more Filipinos were happy with their love life as compared to their number in 2004 when SWS last made the poll.
Fifty-five percent of the respondents said their love life was "very happy" in 2010.
This represents a significant rebound from the 46% tally in 2004, from a high of 58% in 2002.
As for those whose love life "could be happier", they numbered 34% of the respondents in 2010, from 44% in 2004. Back in 2002, 32% of the respondents confessed to saying their love lives "could be happier".
The ones who had no love life represented 11% of the respondents, which hardly changed as compared to the 2004 and 2002 figures.
Who has a happier love life?
The Fourth Quarter 2010 Social Weather Survey revealed that these people have a very happy love life:
* Married people: Three out of five (64%) are very happy with their love life.
Of those with live-in partners, only 43% said they have a very happy love life, while 33% of single men and women said they are very happy.
* Older people: Those with a very happy love life belong to the majority of these age groups: 25-34 (53%); 35-44 (60%); 45-54 (52%); and 55 and above (59%).
Only 2 out of 5 or 44% of those aged 18-24 have a very happy love life.
* People from Visayas and Mindanao: Most of those from Mindanao (71%) and Visayas (67%) confessed to being very happy with their love life.
Only 57% of Metro Manila respondents, and 40% in Balance Luzon admitted to having a very happy love life.
The survey was conducted with sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% for area percentages, SWS said.