Satisfaction with Rody gov’t dips, but still ‘very good’

MANILA, Philippines – Public satisfaction with the administration of President Duterte dropped slightly in the fourth quarter of 2016, pulled down by growing dissatisfaction, but remained in “very good” territory.

The survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations Inc. (SWS) from Dec. 3 to 6 found 73 percent of respondents “satisfied” and 12 percent “dissatisfied” with the national government, yielding a net satisfaction score of +61. The remaining 15 percent were “undecided” on the matter.

The survey, published in BusinessWorld yesterday, showed the administration’s net satisfaction rating dipping five points from its September +66 (75 percent satisfied, eight percent dissatisfied), also classified as “very good.”

Net satisfaction rating of the administration stayed “excellent” in Duterte’s home region Mindanao, at +78, though it dropped three points from the record-high “excellent” +81 in September.

It stayed “very good” in the Visayas at +58 and in “balance Luzon” at +56. Net satisfaction in both areas also declined four points from September scores. 

In Metro Manila, the administration’s net satisfaction score dropped 13 points to +53 from +66.

SWS noted that the administration’s net satisfaction ratings stayed “very good” across socioeconomic classes, staying at +62 among class E and at +55 among class A, B and C. It fell seven points though to +61 among respondents belonging to class D or the masa.

Meanwhile, out of the 16 key issues it was rated, the administration obtained “very good” scores in six, “good” ratings in eight and “moderate” in two others.

It got “very good” net rating in helping the poor (+66 from +63 in September); promoting human rights (+56 from +63); defending the country’s territorial rights (+54 from +53); providing jobs (+51 from +46); fighting crime (+50 from +58); and developing science and technology (+50 from +49).

It received “good” scores in ensuring an efficient transportation system (+48 from +39); foreign relations (+46 from +39); eradicating graft and corruption (+45 from +57); fighting terrorism (+41 from +55); ensuring that no family will ever be hungry (+34 from +37); reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+33 from +42); reconciliation with communist rebels (+30 from +39); and solving the problem of extrajudicial killings or EJK, which was included in its governance report card for the first time, at +40.

It obtained moderate scores in fighting inflation (+25 from +33); and recovering the hidden wealth of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies, which was included in the survey for the first time, at +24.

The survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide and has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages, plus or minus four percentage points for “balance Luzon” and plus or minus six percentage points each for Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao.

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of at least +70 as excellent; +50 to +69 as very good; +30 to +49, good; +10 to +29, moderate; +9 to -9, neutral; -10 to -29, poor; -30 to -49, bad; -50 to -69, very bad and -70 and below as execrable.

LenI not bothered

Vice President Leni Robredo is not bothered by the decline in her recent approval and trust ratings in the recent poll of Pulse Asia, according to her spokesperson, who said the survey results even “inspire” her to work better to serve the poor.

“To us, the results (of the survey) give energy and inspiration to Vice President Leni to serve better because we listen to the people’s feedbacks though this survey,” said Georgina Hernandez, spokesperson for Robredo.

Robredo’s latest approval and trust ratings fell to 62 percent (from 66 percent) and 58 percent (from 65 percent), respectively, in the Dec. 6-11 survey of Pulse Asia.

“We will study how the ordinary people will feel the service of the Vice President, especially those in the fringes of society,” Hernandez said.

She said the Vice President remains thankful to the majority of people who continue to trust her. 

Hernandez said Robredo is focused on helping in the rehabilitation programs for the victims of Typhoons Nina and Lawin, which struck the country last year. 

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III vowed to work harder following the latest Pulse Asia survey showing the chamber’s approval and trust ratings improving but his own figures declining.

He thanked Filipinos for their continued trust and confidence in the Senate and himself.

“We’ll just continue to do what I believe we have to do without any artificial boosting of our popularity. We just have to do the right things, and I’m confident that if we do the right things for and on behalf of the people, it will be seen in the surveys,” Pimentel told reporters.

He also said he was gratified with the continued high ratings of President Duterte in the same 2016 last quarter poll, saying “you can’t bring a good man down.” 

“The (Pulse Asia) survey shows that if you are sincere in helping the people, the people will never leave you, no matter what is said about you,” he said of the poll taken from Dec. 6 to 11 last year.

Pimentel’s obtained a 55 percent approval score, which was below his September score of 61 percent. – With Paolo Romero Christina Mendez