PALACE’S TRUST RATING DROPS

(OP) suffered the sharpest drop in general public trust rating this year based on the latest Philippine Trust Index (PTI), a study launched by the group EON.

Data showed that from a high of 26 percent in 2012,

Malacañang’s PTI declined to 15 percent this year while its informed public trust rating fell from 24 percent to 11 percent.

Comparatively, local government units (LGUs) as sub-institutions emerged as the most trusted government entities by the public with 19 percent from the general public and 17 percent from the informed public. Following the LGUs are the Supreme Court and the Regional Trial Courts.

The 4th Philippine Trust

In- dex covered 1,620 respondents from various socio- economic, educational and demographic backgrounds.

Face- to- face interviews with respondents from urban and rural areas in National Capital Region or Metro Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao were conducted to gain insights on various factors that contribute to Filipinos’ trust in institutions.

The PTI is EON’s proprietary research that was launched in 2011 to examine trust levels and drivers across the government, church, non- government organizations (NGOs), business and the media. It also studied which communication channels and spokemen are trusted by the Filipino Informed Public, according to its website.

In 2012, EON and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business expanded PTI to include the Filipino General Public, and added the Academe as 6th stakeholder group to study. Respondents expanded to Filipinos in urban and rural areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. recognized the PTI released by EON but noted that it differed from “other recog

“We appreciate the feedback from opinion surveys such as the [PTI] released by EON, a public - sist government in improving its services to our bosses, the Filipino people,” Coloma said.

“We note, however, that EON’s Pulse Asia’s latest report, President [Benigno Aquino 3rd’s] approval and trust ratings were 54 and 49 percent respectively. According to Social Weather Stations, the latest ‘good’ net satisfaction rating for the national government of +37 is higher than the + 31 percent recorded in June 2015 and the highest since March 2014,” he pointed out.

The PTI data from 2012 to 2015 also indicated that the trust in LGUs was also the most stable in relation to the more volatile levels of trust in the country’s executive, legislative and judicial institutions.

Meanwhile, Coloma said the results of the PTI have emboldened them to do more.

“We remain focused on attaining the goal inclusive growth and building stronger public institutions that will provide continuity to daang matuwid [straight path]” he added, referring to the Aquino administration’s good-governance mantra.