Manila, Philippines slips in 'Quality of Life' survey

James Ryan Jonas

Those complaining that the quality of living in the Philippines is worse compared to other countries may be right.
In the 2008 Quality of Living Survey conducted by Mercer Consulting, Manila ranks 131st out of 215 countries assessed based on quality of living and personal safety. The country slipped eight places from 123rd last year.
Zurich, Switzerland topped the list while Baghdad, Iraq was at the bottom.
Manila trailed behind neighbors such as Singapore (32nd); Tokyo, Japan (35th); Hong Kong (70th); Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (75th); Taipei, Taiwan (84th); Shanghai, China (98th); and Yeochun, South Korea (112th).
It was ahead, however, of other Asian neighbors Jakarta, Indonesia (146th) and the Vietnamese cities of Ho Chi Minh (147th) and Hanoi (150th).
Manila was one of the cities that scored low on personal safety. It ranked 178th while the regional top scorer, Singapore, was in 9th place. Personal safety rankings are based on internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement and relationships with other countries.
Mercer assessed and evaluated each city based on 39 key quality of living determinants. Data was largely collected between September and December 2007. The report is primarily used by firms as a guide in placing employees on international assignments.
Source: GmaNews.tv

James Ryan Jonas teaches business management, investments, and entrepreneurship at the University of the Philippines (UP). He is also the Executive Director of UP Provident Fund Inc., managing and investing P3.2 Billion ($56.4 Million) worth of retirement funds on behalf of thousands of UP employees.