Almost nine out of 10 Filipinos are entering the New Year with more hope than fear, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The non-commissioned nationwide survey conducted from December 5 to 10 with 2,100 respondents found that 89 percent of Filipinos are entering the New Year with hope rather than fear.

SWS noted that the 89 percent who said they will enter 2010 with hope is slightly lower than those who expressed hope for the New Year in the past three years.

The respondents were asked: "Ang darating na taon ba ay iyong sasalubungin na may pag-asa o pangamba? (Would you face the coming year with hope or fear?)"

From 2006 to 2008, survey results on Filipinos’ hopefulness about the coming year were “flat” with 91 percent in both 2006 and 2007, and 92 percent in 2008.

SWS said that hope forcoming year has customarily been at high levels, starting at 87 percent when SWS first surveyed about it in December 2000 and 88 percent in December 2001.

Hopefulness for the New Year was at a record-high of 95 percent in December 2002.

However it declined to 90 percent in December 2003 and was further down to 81 percent in 2004.

The survey showed that hopefulness among Filipinos rebounded to 85 percent in 2005 and to 91 percent in 2006.

SWS noted that hopefulness in the Philippines is way better than in Germany, where the survey question originated, because hopefulness among Germans only ranged from 31 to 58 percent in 1991 to 2002.

German's hope in the coming year has not exceeded 58 percent since 1991.

The survey figures showed that hopes for the New Year are high in all areas with 90 percent in areas outside of Metro Manila, 88 percent in the Visayas, and 87 percent in both Metro Manila and Mindanao.

Compared to last year, New Year hope hardly changed in Metro Manila from 89 to 87 percent, and the rest of Luzon from 92 to 90 percent.

In the Visayas, hopefulness about the coming New Year is six points down from 94 percent in the previous year to 88 percent in 2009.

One out of 10 respondents in the Visayas feared the coming New Year.

Likewise, in Mindanao, New Year hope is down by five points, from 92 percent in 2008 to 87 percent at present.