46% of Pinoys see government jobless aid ‘inadequate’ – SWS

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly half of Filipino adults find the government’s assistance to the jobless amid the COVID-19 crisis “inadequate,” according to a recent mobile phone survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The nationwide poll, taken from Sept. 17 to 20, found 46 percent of respondents who deemed the government actions inadequate in ensuring the provision of help for people who lost their jobs or livelihood.

Forty-four percent of them believed the aid was adequate, while nine percent were undecided.

By area, 54 percent of respondents in Metro Manila considered the government actions to help the jobless inadequate, against 39 percent who said otherwise. The remaining eight percent were undecided.

It was followed by balance Luzon with 47 percent saying they were inadequate and 44 percent adequate; Mindanao, 45 percent inadequate and 44 percent adequate; and the Visayas, 43 percent inadequate and 47 percent adequate.

Millions of Filipinos here and abroad have lost their jobs and livelihood due to the pandemic.

A majority of Filipinos, meanwhile, think the government’s coronavirus responses were “adequate” in terms of providing enough information, ensuring extensive contact tracing, and ensuring affordable testing, the SWS said.

On “ensuring that the public gets enough information on how to fight COVID-19 nationwide,” 71 percent said government actions were adequate, 22 percent said they were inadequate, while six percent were undecided.

It found 67 percent of Filipino adults who believed the government actions were adequate in “ensuring that there will be an extensive contact tracing of people who were in contact with persons with COVID-19 nationwide,” 23 percent said they were inadequate, while nine percent were undecided.

Fifty-four percent said government actions were adequate in terms of “ensuring that there is affordable COVID-19 testing nationwide for people who need it,” 33 percent said they were inadequate, while 11 percent were undecided.

The survey was based on mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviews of 1,249 adult Filipinos, 18 years old and above.