Perceived Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction in Selected Urban Poor Communities in Lucena City: A Model for Assessing the Sense of Well-being in the CALABARZON Region

This study explored on the notions of sense of well-being, quality of life, and life satisfaction of the residents in the urban poor communities situated in the different parts of Lucena City. Specifically, it aimed to know the perceived quality of life and life satisfaction of the residents in the selected urban poor communities in Lucena City; the relationships between perceived quality of life and the profile of the population, and the life satisfaction and the profile of the population of the residents of the said communities, and the relationships between perceived quality of life and life satisfaction of the residents of the concerned communities. Using descriptive method, it involved the residents of the 14 selected urban poor communities distributed in the ten barangays of Lucena City. Results revealed that the respondents were satisfied in the domains of family and relations, self-development, properties and expenditures, and work life. They were fairly satisfied with leisure, safety and security, and facilities and public services. Overall, they have life satisfaction. They see family and relations, safety and security, and work life as the three most important domains in life but work life, facilities and public services, and safety and security need to be improved. Meanwhile, their overall life satisfaction is significantly related to sex and civil status but has no significant correlation to age, educational attainment, and religion. Life satisfaction is also significantly related to the aspects of life that make respondents happy (or the actual life conditions) and aspects of life that needs improvement to make the respondents happy (or aspired life). It is recommended that an exploration of other demographic characteristics be discussed in succeeding investigations.