Gov’t gets ‘very good’ satisfaction grade
THE NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION under President Rodrigo R. Duterte bagged a “very good” net satisfaction rating from the public in his first three months in office, according to a Social Weather Stations survey that bared top marks in the areas of “campaigning against illegal drugs” and “promoting human rights.”
Results of a Sept. 24-27 survey among 1,200 adults nationwide — with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages and ±6 points each for Metro Manila, “Balance Luzon,” the Visayas and Mindanao — found 75% of respondents satisfied, 17% undecided and eight percent dissatisfied with the national government’s general performance.
That yielded a +66 (% satisfied minus % dissatisfied, rounded off ) net satisfaction rating which the SWS classifies as “very good.”
SWS classifies net satisfaction scores of +70 and above 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”; as well as — 70 and below, “execrable.”
The new government’s net satisfaction level bested maiden scores of most of its post-EDSA revolt predecessors except that under former president Benigno S. C. Aquino III, whose national administration bagged a similarly “very good” +64 (73% satisfied,
nine percent dissatisfied) in a Sept. 24-27 survey.
These “very good” net ratings compare to scores bagged by the national administrations of other post- EDSA revolt presidents, namely: Corazon C. Aquino’s “moderate” + 23 ( 46% satisfied, 23% dissatisfied) on Feb. 2-March 1989; Fidel V. Ramos’s “good” +32 (46% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) on Aug. 10- Sept. 8, 1992; and Joseph E. Estrada’s “moderate” +19 (40% satisfied, 21% dissatisfied) in a Sept. 11-29, 1998 poll.
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s national administration bagged a “moderate” +27 (44% satisfied, 18% dissatisfied, rounded off ) in March 5-18, 2001 survey after she took over the unserved term of Mr. Estrada, who stepped down in January that year amid protests over allegations of graft and corruption to which he, his family and his friends were linked.
A subsequent Aug. 5-22, 2004 poll gave her a “moderate” + 15 (48% satisfied, 32% dissatisfied) rating after she won the presidential elections in May that year.
SWS noted that out of 17 performance subjects rated in the July- September survey, the Duterte administration was “excellent” in one concern, namely: the “campaign against illegal drugs” — included for the first time in the SWS Governance Report Card — “very good” in eight subjects and “good” in eight others.
‘EXCELLENT’ AGAINST DRUGS, ‘VERY GOOD’ IN HUMAN RIGHTS
The war on narcotics bagged for the Duterte government a +78 net score, with 85% satisfied, seven percent dissatisfied and seven percent undecided.
And despite a mounting body count in the anti-drug war that has drawn statements of concern from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and even some credit raters, the national government bagged a “very good” + 63 ( 74% satisfied, 11% dissatisfied and 15% undecided) in “promoting human rights.”
The government also got a +63 ( 75% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied and 13% undecided) in the area of “helping the poor.”
Other fields where the administration bagged “very good” scores were “promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)” (+62), “fighting crime” (+58), “eradicating graft and corruption” (+57), “fighting terrorism” (+55), “defending the country’s territorial rights” (+55) and “distributing lands to deserving tillers under land reform” (+53).
The national government got “good” scores in eight other issues, namely: “developing science and technology” (+49), “providing jobs” (+ 46), “reconciliation with Muslim rebels” (+ 42), “foreign relations” (+39), “ensuring an efficient transportation system” (+ 39), “reconciliation with communist rebels” (+ 39), “ensuring that no family will ever be hungry” (+ 37) and “fighting inflation” (+33).
The pollster also said that the national administration’s net ratings in 10 areas rose by at least one grade from the last SWS Governance Report Card:
• “promoting human rights” — “very good” +63 from the “good” +31 in September 2015;
• “fighting crime” — “very good” +58 from June’s “good” +31;
• “eradicating graft and corruption” — two grades up to “very good” +57 from June’s “moderate” +27;
• “fighting terrorism” — three grades up to a “very good” + 55 from a “neutral” +7 in April;
• “defending the country’s territorial rights” — “very good” +53 from June’s “good” +45;
• “distributing lands to deserving tillers under land reform” — “good” +53 from a “good” +36 in December 2012;
• “reconciliation with Muslim rebels”, “good” +42 from “moderate” +25 in June;
• “reconciliation with communist rebels” — “good” +39 from a “moderate” +25 in June;
• “ensuring that no family will ever be hungry” — “good” + 37 from June’s “moderate”+25; and
• “fighting inflation” — “good” + 33 from a “moderate” + 19 in June.
The national administration’s net satisfaction rating stayed “very good” from June in two other areas, namely: “helping the poor” and “promoting the welfare of OFWs” that otherwise saw 12- and 10-point improvements, respectively.
Net satisfaction ratings stayed “good” in “providing jobs”, “foreign relations” and “ensuring an efficient transportation system” that saw improvements of six and nine points, respectively, from June, as well as a mere three points from September 2014.
At the same time, last September’s “good” net rating for “developing science and technology” was a downgrade from and five points less than the “very good” +54 logged in June.
The national government fared relatively well across geographic areas and socioeconomic classes in last September’s survey.
Compared to June, net rating hit:
• a record-high “excellent” +81 in Mindanao, 21 points up from a “very good” +60,
• a “very good” +66 in Metro Manila that was 34 points up from a “good” +32;
• a “very good” +62 in the Visayas that was flat from the previous reading;
• and a “very good” +60 in “Balance Luzon” that was 15 points more than June’s “good” +45.
Survey results based on socioeconomic classes gave a similar picture:
• a record-high “very good” +68 among respondents of class “D”, or the masa, that was 17 points more than June’s “very good” +51;
• a “very good” + 62 among those from class “E” that was 12 points up from a “very good” +50 previously;
• and a “very good” +58 in class “ABC” that was 34 points more than June’s “moderate” +24.
Presidential Communications Operating Office Secretary Martin M. Andanar said in a text message that the latest survey results show that “our people are seeing the efforts of the President and his Cabinet to help achieve the vision for the country.”
“For the past three months, the Duterte administration has been finding ways to make both ends meet: alleviating poverty while encouraging business, eradicating illegal drugs and criminality while pursuing peace and order,” he added, admitting: “Our journey is far from over. There is much work to be done to improving the lives of our people.”
Sought separately for comment, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Edmund S. Tayao said in a phone interview that the results were “consistent with President Duterte being one of the most popular presidents elected.”
“The focus of the government on labor, government services and so on — these are all good ingredients for popular support.” — with inputs from