Four of five Filipinos left home during quarantine to buy food: SWS

May 27, 2020

At least four out five Filipinos went out of their houses during the quarantine period to do essential activities, often to buy food, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey said on Wednesday.

In its latest report, SWS said out of the total 4,010 respondents, 81 percent buy food while 98 percent to purchase medicine and 98 percent to settle financial transactions.

“On average, respondents went out 2.6 times to buy food, 1.3 times to buy medicine, and 1.2 times for financial transactions,” the survey said.

SWS found that four out of five  or 81 percent of Filipinos went out of their house 1 to 3 times, while 17 percent went out 4 to 7 times, and 2 percent went out 8 times or more to buy food.

It added most  people who go out came from Balance Luzon at 84 percent followed by Mindanao at 82 percent and 81 percent in Metro Manila and 76 percent in Visayas.

For those who are buying medicine, 98 percent of Filipinos nationwide goes out one to three times a day while 99 percent both from Metro Manila and Balance Luzon as well as 98 percent in Visayas and Mindanao go out of their houses for financial transactions.

The SWS COVID-19 Mobile Survey was conducted from May 4 to 10 using mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI).

SWS said the survey was done on their own initiative and released as public service.  Ella Dionisio/DMS