The majority of Filipinos support a good Philippine-US relations for economic development and fighting terrorism, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) nationwide from Aug. 5 to Aug. 22 found that about 78 percent of Filipinos perceive good relations with the US is important for Philippine economic development, and 73 percent believe it is at least somewhat important for protecting the country from international terrorism.

Among 1,200 respondents, 67 percent of respondents approve of the government's move to pull the Philippine contingent out of Iraq to save the life of a Filipino hostage, the survey showed.

However, the survey also found that 48 percent said the pulloutshowed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could easily break her commitments, 46 percent expected the United States would lessen its financial and military aid, and 42 percent said the United States might lessen the number of work visas for Filipinos.

The survey also discovered that 52 percent of all Filipino families now have relatives abroad, 22 percent of whom have relatives in the United States.

On the free trade between the two countries, 51 percent of Filipinos said that their livelihood would improve if the Philippines were to lower its tariffs or ease regulations on imports from the United States.

Only 25 percent of respondents said that their livelihood wouldsuffer, while another 22 percent believe they would not be affected, it showed.

On the other hand, 58 percent said that their livelihood would improve if the United States were to lower tariffs or ease regulations on imports from Philippines, compared to 23 percent who believe their livelihood would suffer.

On the military cooperation, 62 percent of Filipinos approve the government's policy of accepting US assistance against the kidnap-for-ransom group Abu Sayyaf, compared to 21 percent who disapprove.

A separate SWS survey earlier found a diverge among Muslim Filipinos in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 42 percent approving and 39 percent registering disapproval on takingUS help to combat the Abu Sayyaf.

The SWS said that the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

Source: Xinhua