Locally stranded individuals at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex await their turn to avail of the government's transportation assistance program in Manila on July 28, 2020. Thousands of people, many of whom lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, have flocked to the sports stadium for the chance to get free bus and ferry rides to their provinces under the Hatid Tulong program. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA -- Over half of Filipinos believe “the worst is yet to come” in the coronavirus crisis that has left millions jobless and killed thousands, according to results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released Tuesday.
Of 1,555 adults polled on July 3-6 this year, 57 percent said the worst-case scenario had yet to happen, up from 47 percent in May, said the SWS.
On the other hand, 35 percent said the "worst is behind us", down from 44 percent in May. Those who did not give an answer stayed at 8 percent, said the pollster.
The proportion of those who fear “the worst is yet to come” with the COVID-19 crisis is highest in Metro Manila at 70 percent, followed by the Visayas at 61 percent, the rest of Luzon at 56 percent, and Mindanao at 49 percent.
Last May, the pessimism rating was only at 50 percent in the National Capital Region, the epicenter of the crisis in the country.
In terms of educational attainment, the proportion of those who still expect the worst is highest among college graduates at 63 percent, followed by junior high school graduates at 59 percent; non-elementary graduates, 50 percent; and elementary graduates, 49 percent.
On Monday, the Philippines reported 259 coronavirus-related deaths, the highest in a single day, as the country's cumulative total of COVID-19 cases swelled to over 265,000.
The country's first case was confirmed on Jan. 30 in a Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan City, China where the disease is believed to have first emerged.
The health department last week said it cannot yet tell if the country has flattened the coronavirus curve.
Quarantine protocols imposed since mid-March to stem the spread of COVID-19 have affected business activities, bringing the country into economic recession again after nearly 30 years.
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