Net satisfaction for Duterte steadies at ‘very good’: SWS

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte maintained his “very good” net public satisfaction rating this quarter on the back of a sharp increase in his bailiwick Mindanao that cushioned a significant decline in Balance Luzon, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Results of the survey — conducted on March 25-28 via facetoface interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide and with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages, and ±6% each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao — found 75% satisfied, 12% undecided and 12% dissatisfied with Mr. Duterte’s performance this quarter.

That yielded a net satisfaction rating of +63 (% satisfied minus % dissatisfied), classified as “very good,” steady from the December survey’s + 63 ( 77% satisfied against 13% dissatisfied).

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of at least +70 as “excellent”; those +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, “execrable.”

Mr. Duterte’s steady overall net satisfaction was buoyed by his 13-point gain in Mindanao to +87 from +74, classified as “excellent” and the best leading among all geographical areas.

However, Mr. Duterte had a drop of nine points in “Balance Luzon” at “very good” +51 (68% satisfied, 17% dissatisfied) in March from +60 (74% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) in December last year, SWS said.

Sought for comment, Ramon C. Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, attributed the significant changes in Mr. Duterte’s net satisfaction ratings in Mindanao and Balance Luzon to the seeming unequal attention given by the government to the two areas.

“The regions that got the most attention are in Mindanao while those who got the least attention are in Luzon outside Manila,” Mr. Casiple said in a text message, even as he qualified that the President’s net rating was “still very high.”

“[ The survey result] follows normal curve as other presidencies,” Mr. Casiple also said of the survey, in which Mr. Duterte’s latest rating hovered in the +60 range enjoyed by his predecessors Corazon C. Aquino early in 1987, Fidel V. Ramos early in 1993, and Joseph E. Estrada early in 1999.

Satisfaction with Mr. Duterte stayed “very good” in the Visayas at + 62 ( 75% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) in March, up by one point from +61 (76% satisfied, 15% dissatisfied) in the December poll.

In Metro Manila, it rose five points to +64 from +59 to stay at “very good.”

Satisfaction also stayed “very good” in both urban and rural areas, though down three points in the former (to +63 from +66) while up two points in the latter (to +63 from +61).

Mr. Duterte’s net scores similarly remained “very good” across socioeconomic classes.

The rating steadied at + 56 from + 52 among respondents belonging to class ABC, and was consistent from last December at +64 among class D or the masa, and steadied at +60 from +61 in class E.

The President’s net satisfaction rating among men stayed “very good” at + 65 ( 77% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied) in March, similar to +66 (79% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied) in December.

It has not changed among female respondents at +61 from last December.

Mr. Duterte’s satisfaction ratings among age groups were mixed.

His score among 18- to 24-year olds fell by one grade from “excellent” to “very good,” declining 11 points to +59 (73% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) this quarter from +70 (81% satisfied, 11% dissatisfied).

Among 25- to 34-year olds, Mr. Duterte’s score rose by one grade from “very good” to “excellent,” yielding + 71 ( 79% satisfied, 8% dissatisfied), five points from last December’s + 66 ( 78% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied).

It remained “very good” among 35- to 44-year olds at +59 that was nevertheless six points below the +65 in the previous quarter.

Satisfaction among 45- to 54year olds stayed “very good” at +64 (78% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied), barely changing from +65 (77% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied) in December.

Among respondents 55 years old and above, Mr. Duterte’s net rating stayed “very good” at +61 (74% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied), up five points from + 56 ( 73% satisfied, 17% dissatisfied) in December.

Among respondents who had college degrees, Mr. Duterte’s net rating retained its “excellent” grade and climbed four points to +76 (85% satisfied, 8% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) from + 72 ( 82% satisfied, 10% dissatisfied).

Among high school graduates, it logged a decline of eight points but remained “very good” at +60 (74% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) from +68 (79% satisfied, 11% dissatisfied).