Bam: Robredo's rise in ratings due to hard work

MANILA, Philippines — The rise in the satisfaction ratings of Vice President Leni Robredo is because of hard work, according to Sen. Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, her campaign manager in last year's national election.

Aquino said Robredo's consistent hard work to uplift the underprivileged is paying off as shown by the latest results of the September Social Weather Stations survey that saw the vice president's approval ratings climbing to 41 percent from 36 percent.

The senator, a party mate of the vice president in the much reduced Liberal Party, said that Filipinos are seeing that Robredo kept working despite the "numerous challenges" her office is facing.

“The rise in VP Leni’s satisfaction rating is the fruit of her hard work to uplift underprivileged communities. Filipinos are seeing that the vice president is continuing her work despite the numerous challenges she faces,” Aquino said.

According to the Office of the Vice President, it was able to extend help to around 75,038 families through its flagship anti-poverty program Angat Buhay despite a limited budget.

The OVP said that it mobilized around P91 million for projects that included those in livelihood and jobs, public education, food and security, universal health care, housing and resettlement and disaster relief and rehabilitation.

Angat Buhay's project costs were low despite the high number of its beneficiaries because it helped mainly by linking communities to private partners.

The Senate has added P20 million to the office's budget tp support Robredo's initiatives and programs for poor communities, Aquino said.

READ: Senate panel approves proposed OVP budget

However, the Commission on Audit criticized the OVP for its failure to spend P89.269 million for its medical assistance funds, which deprived thousands of the change to avail of financial aid.

The OVP contended that it failed to spend this money because of the limitations in its personnel. It said that only four to seven staff members were tasked to interview those seeking help in the morning, and the staff had to attend to other duties in the afternoon.

Aquino said that Robredo should use the latest survey results to continue advancing her programs and advocacies for the poor.

"The work for the country will continue. The fight will continue," he said.

READ: House panel approves Robredo office budget in 3 minutes

Surveys are considered snapshots of public opinion at a particular period in time and are likely influenced by events leading to the conduct of the study.

During the same survey, President Rodrigo Duterte recorded a steep an 18-point decline in his satisfaction ratings, from a "very good" rating of 66 percent in June to a "good" score of + 48 in September.

Although dips are normal, the president's ratings fell faster than average, according to SWS President Mahar Mangahas.

However, in a different survey conducted by polling agency Pulse Asia, the president maintained approval and trust ratings of 80 percent.

SWS subtracts the disapproval ratings from the official's approval ratings to obtain his net rating while Pulse Asia does not.