If you are nursing a V-Day blues hangover because your partner does not seem to accept the fact that you can happily keep your relationship even while you are earning successes at work – KEEP READING.
Ever the optimist, Filipinos are saying combined success in both love and career at the same time isn’t such an impossible task.
The survey results released by the Social Weather Station indicates that 84% of Filipinos say it is possible to succeed in love life and career at the same time, and in fact 66% have actually experienced the combined success.
The December 2017 survey asked the question, “In your opinion, is it possible to be successful in your love life and career at the same time? Would you say that it is…?”
To this survey question, 58% of the respondents answered definitely possible, 26% somewhat possible, 5% somewhat impossible, and 3% definitely impossible. Eight percent were undecided if possible or not.
The SWS survey results once more affirm the Filipinos’ optimism with their lives. The nation ranked 3rd happiest and 9th most optimistic people in the world in the Gallup Poll results released in early January.
In a follow-up question, “Have you experienced having a successful love life and career at the same time?”, a majority 66% said that they already had.
The December 2017 survey also found that 57% describe their love life as very happy, 29% say it could be happier, and 14% say they do not have a love life.
This is similar to 2016 when 55% said their love life was very happy, 31% it could be happier and 14% have no love life.
The proportion of those who were very happy with their love life was 58% when SWS first surveyed it in 2002. It fell to 46% in 2004, and recovered to 50s levels from 2010 to 2012, reaching a record-high 59% in 2011. It declined to 49% in 2014 before bouncing to 51% in 2015 and 55% in 2016.
Since 2002, the proportion of those saying their love lives could be happier has been at 30s, except in 2004 and 2014 when it was at record-high 44% and 40%, respectively. It reached its lowest percentage of 29% in 2017.
The proportion of those who have no love life reached its highest level in 2016 and 2017 with 14%, 4 points higher than 10% in 2015. It ranged from 9% to 13% from 2002 to 2014.
Very strong net possibility of success in both love life and career across sex and civil status
By sex, it was +81 (87% possible, 6% impossible) among men, and +71 (80% possible, 10% impossible, correctly rounded) among women
Among men, it was highest among marrieds at +88 (91% possible, 4% impossible, correctly rounded), followed by those with live-in partners at +76 (85% possible, 9% impossible), and those who never married at +65 (77% possible, 13% impossible, correctly rounded), and those who are widowed/separated/divorced at +56 (68% possible, 12% impossible, correctly rounded).
Among women, net possibility was highest among those with live-in partners +83 (89% possible, 7% impossible, correctly rounded), followed by marrieds at +75 (84% possible, 8% impossible, correctly rounded), those who never married at +62 (70% possible, 8% impossible), and those who are widowed/separated/divorced at +50 (68% possible, 18% impossible).
Success in both love life and career higher among those with live-in partners and marrieds
In terms of civil status, regardless of sex, the proportion of those who experienced having a successful love life and career at the same time was higher among those with live-in partners and marrieds, compared to singles.
By sex, 68% of men and 63% of women experienced having a successful love life and career at the same time.
By civil status, experience of success in both love life and career was highest among men with live-in partners at 76%, followed by married men at 72%, single men who are widowed/separated/divorced at 59%, and single men who never married at 36%.
Likewise, it was highest among women with live-in partners at 72%, followed by married women at 68%, single women who are widowed/separated/divorced at 55%, and single men who never married at 30%.
Success in both love life and career is higher among those who have a very happy love life
By personal assessment of love life, experience of having a successful love life and career at the same time was highest among those who are very happy with their love life, at 76%, followed by those whose love life could be happier at 58%, and who have no love life at 38%.
Success in both love life and career is higher among those who chose love life over career
By choice between career or love life, experience of having a successful love life and career at the same time was higher among those chose love life at 71%, than those who chose career at 62%.
Marrieds have happiest love life
A majority 63% of men, and half (50%) of women, say they are very happy with their love life.
In terms of civil status, those who are very happy with their love life were higher among those who are married (Men 71%, Women 62%), compared to those with live-in partners (Men 62%, Women 53%), singles who never married (Men 36%, Women 28%), and singles who are widowed/separated/divorced (Women 23%, Men 21%).
Combining those who never married and those who are widowed/separated/divorced, the December 2017 survey found that younger single men are happier with their love life compared to younger single women.
Among single men 18-34 years old, 45% are very happy with their love life, compared to 28% among single women of the same age group [Chart 12].
On the other hand, 23% of single women 35 years old and above are very happy with their love life, compared to 16% among single men of the same age group.
Filipinos who affirm the possibility of combined success in both love and career were surveyed in face-to-face interviews across the country for the non-commissioned survey initiated by SWS as a public service.