Most Filipinos find it risky to go to religious services, markets, or work while the pandemic persists: SWS

MANILA – Most Filipinos consider it “risky” to go to the market, attend religious services and go to their workplaces while the COVID-19 pandemic persists, according to an independent survey by Social Weather Stations released Wednesday.

Of 1,249 Filipino adults surveyed nationwide, 79 percent said they considered going to the supermarket risky to their health and well-being, while 69 percent said it was risky to attend religious services, according to SWS.

About 65 percent of more than half of those surveyed with a job during the Sept. 17-20 survey said they considered going to their workplace risky.

Among them, sentiment was highest in Balance Luzon (57 percent), Metro Manila (52 percent), Mindanao (51 percent) and Visayas (43 percent).

The number of Filipinos who consider it risky to go to the market was highest in Balance Luzon at 80 percent, followed by Metro Manila with 76 percent, Visayas with 75 percent and Mindanao with 74 percent.

The proportion of those who find it dangerous to attend religious services was highest in Visayas (76 percent), followed by Balance Luzon (70 percent), Metro Manila (69 percent) and Mindanao (62 percent).

Last month, the government allowed 10 percent capacity for religious gatherings before the holidays.

The survey was conducted using mobile and computer-assisted telephone interviews, as community quarantine measures were relaxed in most areas of the country. It had a sampling error margin of ± 3 percent for national percentages.

The Philippines has reported 329,637 cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, among the 20 nations with the highest count of the respiratory disease.