Some 29% of the adults polled replied that they expect their lives to improve over the next 12 months, while 12% figure it to worsen.
Optimists were down three points from February, but this was offset by a seven-point drop among pessimists.
"Net optimism has been at double-digit positives for the past three quarters, ranging from +14 to +17, after being merely mediocre from March to September 2008, ranging from -6 to +9," the independent survey research institution said.
The SWS also found the number of "losers," or those who said their lives had worsened in the last 12 months, falling to 43% from 47%, while "gainers" hit 20% from 19%, bringing "gainers-losers gap" to -23, better then February’s -28.
The gap, which reached a record "very low" -50 in June last year, has been in the "low" range for the last three quarters, the SWS said.
A government spokesman called the improvement "justified" and credited it to state pro-poor programs, while an economist said this may be attributable to lower food prices and some government intervention
Optimism improved in all areas except in Luzon outside Metro Manila, with sharpest rise recorded among the class E.
In the Visayas, it improved by 15 points to +11; by eight points in Metro Manila to +22; and by six points in Mindanao to +17. It fell by four points in the Balance of Luzon to +19.
In terms of socioeconomic class, optimism rose by eight points among the class E to +13; by three points among the class D to +19; and was almost unchanged among the class ABC at +14 from +15.
The gainers-losers gap also narrowed in all areas except Mindanao, the SWS said.
The gap eased by 25 points in the Visayas to -24; by five points in the Balance of Luzon to -18; and by two points in Metro Manila to -31.
It, however, worsened in Mindanao to -29 from -16.
Among the class E, the gap declined to -30 from -36; to -21 from -26 among the class D; and to -14 from -17 among the class ABC.
Asked to comment, deputy presidential spokesman Gary B. Olivar said Malacañang was "glad" about the improved optimism.
"The government has been working hard to help uplift the lives of Filipinos," he said, adding the Arroyo administration’s stimulus package, social services and pro-poor programs, as well as continued investments in infrastructure were instrumental in improving people’s lives.
He also cited a continued rise in overseas Filipino workers’ remittances as being a factor behind the improved optimism.
University of the Philippines economist Benjamin E. Diokno said it was difficult to read a clear pattern based on the survey results.
However, he said "the numbers suggest relatively high response of classes E and D to changes in food prices and perhaps to some government programs addressed to the very poor such as the conditional cash transfer programs."
The latest SWS survey was conducted from June 19 to 22 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults with sampling error margins of ±2.5% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao, and ±4% for the Balance of Luzon.
