ILOILO City – Ilonggos have the best sex life among Visayans and have a better one compared to the rest of the country, the 2019 PhilCare Wellness Index revealed.
Of the 75 respondents surveyed, 46 indicated being sexually active.
Iloilo City respondents said they had a “good” sex life, scoring 2.70 on the Wellness Index scale compared to those in Bacolod City (2.84), Cebu City (3.11), Tagbilaran City (3.02), and even most other Filipinos (2.74) who said theirs was only “somewhat good.”
Questions about sex life, along with stress, vices and health practices, were part of the study commissioned by PhilCare, a leading health maintenance organization (HMO).
Lead researcher and University of the Philippines associate professor Dr. Fernando Paragas said the PhilCare Wellness Index, which measured the perceived health and wellness of Filipinos, was composed of six wellness domains, namely psychological, physical, medical, nutritional, financial, and lifestyle.
Ilonggos also had more sex than the rest of the country, saying they do it twice a week, higher than the nationwide and Visayas average of at least once a week. Bacolodnons and Tagbilaranons also indicated having sex twice weekly.
There were a total of 1,350 respondents from 22 key cities and towns nationwide aged 18-90 who were interviewed for the study. Of the total sample size, 300 respondents came from the Visayas, 75 of which were from Iloilo.
The respondents were asked to rate themselves from a seven-point scale, with the score of one as “very good”, two as “good”, three as “somewhat good”, four as “neither good nor bad”, five as “somewhat bad”, six as “bad”, and seven as “very bad.”
MOST PREPARED FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, BUT MOST STRESSED IN PH
The survey discovered that Ilonggos were able to pay for their medical bills and see their doctors and dentists regularly more often than the rest of the country.
At the same time, though, the survey found Ilonggos as among the most stressed of all Filipinos, being often pressed for time and are unable to get enough sleep frequently.
Iloilo topped the medical wellness domain nationwide with a score of 2.61 or “good,” followed by Bacolod (2.84), Legazpi (2.97), Cebu (3.12), San Fernando City, La Union (3.16), and Pili, Camarines Sur (3.16), all of which were “somewhat good.”
These scores, according to Paragas, were much better compared to the nationwide average of 4.02 (“neither good nor bad”).
But Iloilo also scored the highest for stress together with Legazpi at 2.63. Residents of both cities said they were “stressed” compared to those in Bacolod (2.76), San Fernando City, La Union (3.16), and Pili, Camarines Sur (3.19) who said they were only “somewhat stressed.”
Conversely, most other Filipinos were more “chill” compared to Ilonggos with the nationwide score plotted at 3.88 or “neither stressed nor not stressed.”
Interestingly, Ilonggos spent the most for wellness among Visayans and even more than the rest of the country. Ilonggos allotted about P3,300 monthly for R&R spending, beating Bacolod (about P2,800), Cebu (at least P2,000), Tagbilaran (at least P2,300), and even most other Filipinos (at least P3,000).
WELLNESS LEADER IN THE VISAYAS
Iloilo also led in most other aspects of wellness in the Visayas, based on the study.
Ilonggos topped the lifestyle wellness domain with a score of 2.65 or “good.” This meant they had the most time for recreational activities, the best work-family balance, and the most sufficient rest among Visayans compared to their Bacolod (2.88), Cebu (3.19) and Tagbilaran (3.18) counterparts who only said “somewhat good.”
Iloilo also beat the nationwide score of 3.12, also classified as “somewhat good.”
The city’s residents also signified having the best nutritional wellness in the region, meaning they were the most aware Visayans in terms of knowing their diet and their actual intake.
Iloilo scored 2.64 or “good,” besting Bacolod (2.84), Cebu (3.20), Tagbilaran (3.25), and even most other Filipinos (3.13) whose nutritional wellness is said to be “somewhat good.”
Ilonggos likewise said they were the most contented and that they had the most purposeful and most meaningful lives among Visayan respondents.
They indicated having “good” psychological wellness, scoring 2.63 on the Wellness Index scale. This is better than that of Bacolod (2.87), Cebu (3.12) and Tagbilaran (3.10), all of which were “somewhat good.”
Most other Filipinos also signified having “good’ psychological wellness, with a score of 2.71.
Having a good disposition with finances, or financial wellness, is also a key indicator of wellness, and Ilonggos signified having the best grasp of it among Visayans. They earn the most sufficiently to cover for their needs, are most comfortable with the amount of debt they have, and are able to save and invest the most.
Iloilo scored 2.61 or “good,” beating Bacolod (2.85), Cebu (3.20), Tagbilaran (3.22), and even the nationwide average (3.42), all of which are “somewhat good.”
With Ilonggos faring well in almost all wellness domains, their composite score was “good,” with a score of 2.65, better than the “somewhat good” rating for Bacolod (2.86), Cebu (3.15), Tagbilaran (3.18), and the nationwide average (3.24).
When Ilonggos themselves were asked to rate their overall health and wellness, they said it was also “good,” with a score of 2.69, again beating Bacolod (2.96), Cebu (3.24), Tagbilaran (3.25), and the nationwide average (2.84); or “somewhat good.”
VICES
The study also found that Ilonggos smoked both traditional and e-cigarettes the most among Visayans, but less than most other Filipinos.
They were also among the heaviest consumers of alcohol in the region. Of the 75 respondents, 61 said they drank beer, while 30 smoked cigarettes.
Ilonggos smoked two sticks of cigarettes a day, more than Bacolodnons (at least 1.5 sticks a day), Cebuanos (one stick per day), and Tagbilaranons (at least one stick per day).
It also appeared that Iloilo had gotten into the trend of smoking e-cigarettes or vape. Ilonggos smoked e-cigarettes two times a day, more than Bacolodnons (at least 1.75 times daily), Cebuanos (almost never), and Tagbilaranons (once daily).
Most other Filipinos smoke e-cigarettes on an average of twice daily.
Ilonggos, together with Bacolodnons, consumed the most alcohol in the Visayas at two bottles a week, more than Cebuanos (almost two bottles a week) and Tagbilaranons (1.75 bottles a week).
Most other Filipinos, meanwhile, drink at least two bottles a week.
A RESPONSIVE STUDY
First conducted in 2014, the 2ndPhilCare Wellness index allowed the HMO company to develop affordable and responsive medical insurance plans that provided coverage to thousands of uninsured Filipinos.
The study was inspired by wellness and health indices in New Zealand (The Sovereign Wellbeing Index of 2015), Canada (The Canadian Index of Wellbeing), and the United States (The State of American Well-Being of 2017).
Dr. Paragas said this year’s PhilCare Wellness Index involved not just a survey, but also a series of focus group discussions, where participants from different sectors delved on problems and solutions relevant to the goal of inclusive health care.
PhilCare president and chief executive officer Jaeger L. Tanco said the results of the survey would be very useful in helping the health sector come up with programs that address the needs of Filipinos, helping them attain a better state of wellness.
“There is more to health than just the absence of disease. Our vision is to help promote a brand of health that is holistic and inclusive. The PhilCare Wellness Index gives us a clear picture on where we are when it comes to wellness and, more importantly, it charts a clear path on how far we can go to promote health among Filipinos,” he said.
“We also find it very important to look after the overall health and wellness of a city that is becoming increasingly progressive. The Iloilo results of the 2ndPhilCare Wellness Index will certainly give us insight on how we can work towards optimal well-being for Ilonggos,” he added.
Former Health secretary and chairman of the 2019 PhilCare Wellness Index, Dr. Enrique Ona, said PhilCare intends to share more findings of the study to the public to raise awareness of the well-being of Filipinos.
“PhilCare will also forge partnerships with the government sector so they could use this proprietary study of PhilCare to craft relevant policies. We have findings in this study that may be very useful in the goal of the government to attain truly universal health care,” Ona said./PN
