Majority of the Filipinos will face 2020 with hope, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed on Friday.

SWS survey showed that 96 percent of Filipinos have optimistic views in welcoming the new year.

It is four points higher than the 92 percent who said they would enter 2019 with hope. The result is meanwhile similar to the record-high level in 2017.

On the other hand, four percent said they will face the upcoming year with fear. The percentage decreased from the eight percent in 2018 and it matched the record-low levels in 2017 and 2011.

"Hope for the New Year has always been high, starting at 87% when SWS first asked the question in 2000. It rose to 88% in 2001 and 95% in 2002 before easing to 90% in 2003, 81% in 2004, and 85% in 2005," SWS said.

"It ranged from 91% to 92% from 2006 to 2008, and went up to 89% in 2009. It rose to 93% in 2010, and has since then been at 90s levels, reaching as high as 96% in 2017 and 2019," it added.

However, SWS noted that the highly optimistic view for the new year rose in all areas except Mindanao.

The "New Year hope" increased into a record-high 99 percent in Balance Luzon from 96 percent last year. It has surpassed the previous record of 97 percent in 2017, 2016, and 2013.

The biggest year-on-year recovery was seen in Visayas with an increase of 18 percentage points. From 79 percent in 2018, Visayans, who have hope for the upcoming year, rose to 97 percent.

The percentage increased by two percent in Metro Manila from 94 percent in 2018 to 96 percent this year.

The only decrease was recorded in Mindanao. Only 90 percent of Mindanawons will enter 2020 with hope, which is four percent lower than 94 percent in 2018.

SWS conducted the survey from December 13 to 16 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults with sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS