ACCORDING to a survey conducted by Gallup, Filipinos get the most love in the world.
“The world leader in love is the Philippines, where fully 93 percent of the population reported feeling love,” said University of Michigan Professor and author of the study, Justin Wolfers, in a blog post on Tuesday.
Rwanda ranked second at 92 percent; Puerto Rico third at 90 percent; Hungary fourth at 89 percent and Cyprus fifth at 88 percent.
The percentage is a lot higher than the average, at 70 percent — the ratio of the world’s population who said they experienced love. “whether from romance, family members or good friends,” reports Philstar.com.
Meanwhile, Armenia ranked the lowest in terms of “widespread feelings of love,” with only 29 percent of respondents saying that they felt love when asked: “Did you experience the following feelings during a lot of the day yesterday? How about love?”
The original survey was done in 2006 and 2007, as part of a World Poll and “the result is the most comprehensive global index of love ever constructed,” said Wolfers.
On the home front, a recent survey (conducted from December 8-11 2012) by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that fewer Filipinos “consider their love life to be happy, even as the number of adults who have no love life slightly rose in 2012,” also reported by Philstar.com.
54 percent of 1,200 adults said that they have a very happy love life — down five points from an all-time high of 59 percent in December 2011.
Those who do not have a love life increased three points: from nine percent in 2011, to a record high 13 percent in 2012.
“SWS said happiness with love life was at 58 percent in 2002 when the pollster first asked the question, but it fell to 46 percent in 2004. It bounced back to 55 percent in 2010 and rose further to 59 percent in 2011,” Philstar.comfurther reported.
The survey results also revealed that “more men are happier with their love life than women” — 58 percent of men claim that their love life is happy, compared to only 49 percent of women respondents.
Percentages of those with no love life are about the same: 12 percent among men and 14 percent among women.
Other findings from the survey reveal:
– A majority or 78 percent of adult Filipinos believe that “love cannot be planned and pursued, it just comes to a person;” 22 percent believe that “love is planned and pursued until one finds it.”
– Adults who are married or who have live-in partners have a happier love life than those who are single: 63 percent of married adults, and 54 percent of those with live-in partners are very happy with their love life, compared to only 31 percent of single people.
– 44 percent of those with live-in partners wish their love life could be happier, higher compared to 36 percent among those married and 20 percent among singles.
– Married men are happier with their love life compared to married women: 67 percent among men, only 58 percent among women.
– 40 percent of married women wish their love life could be happier, compared to only 32 percent of married men.
– Among singles, single men are happier with their love life compared to single women: 35 percent vs 26 percent. (For more nuanced details, read the complete report from Philstar.com.)
It is a general belief that Filipinos are overflowing with love — one that goes beyond romantic relationships. They are known to be devoted to family members.
We’ve been voted as one of the happiest people on earth in the past, now, even as the most loved in the world.
While these may seem impractical to probably half of the world’s population, it is good to know that our disposition has contributed immensely to our resilience, as a people.
In the face of trials and tribulations, the Pinoy can still muster a smile.
In the direst situations, the Pinoy continues to care for a loved one.
There may be some truth to an Eagles song, after all: “When we’re hungry, love will keep us alive.”
Indeed, there is no greater feeling in the world than to love, and be loved.
(AJPress)
