Social Weather Stations Survey [Philippines]: Quarter IV, 1995

The Social Weather Stations Surveys were designed to provide a source of data on Philippine economic and social conditions independent from Philippine governmental statistics. These quarterly surveys cover the entire Philippines with four major geographic study areas: National Capital Region (NCR), Balance Luzon (areas outside of NCR but within Luzon), Visayas, and Mindanao. Adults, aged 18 and older, are asked through face-to-face interviews for their views on issues concerning the general topics of economics, governance, politics, diplomacy, and society, as well as issues of current public interest in the Philippines. The survey also gathers information from household heads about the members of the household and household characteristics. The Social Weather Stations Survey for the fourth quarter of 1995 was conducted from November 22 to December 22, 1995. Questions on economic issues probed for respondents' feelings about encounters with poverty as well as their views on quality of life trends, taxation, and fiscal policies. Questions about governance included ratings of political personalities, the government's ability to fight graft and corruption, presidential and senatorial performance, constitutional amendments, the defection of General Raymundo Jarque, and the legal case of Sarah Balabagan. Questions on diplomacy elicited respondents' views on external military threats, foreign relations, national security threats, the United States' military presence in Asia, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the September 1995 Beijing Conference. Societal topics covered the state of the family, agrarian reform, tourism programs, environmental concerns, family planning services, personal safety, television censorship, and the construction of the Centennial Tower. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, political party, marital status, employment status, education, household composition, home ownership, household spending patterns, and language used in the home.