Duterte admin gets lowest ratings on inflation, West PH Sea

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos’ satisfaction with the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration remained “very good” overall during the 2nd quarter of 2018, but it received its lowest ratings on fighting inflation and defending sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

This is according to the results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Sunday, August 5.

The survey, conducted from June 27 to 30, showed that the Duterte administration’s net satisfaction rating was unchanged at +58.

But in terms of issues, it got -1 on fighting inflation, a 7-point decrease from March’s already low +6. Inflation had surged to a fresh high of 5.2% in June.

The Duterte administration also received a rating of only +20 when it comes to the West Philippine Sea, a 14-point decline from March’s +34. It was in June when Duterte said he doubted whether the military would follow orders to defend the West Philippine Sea.

Double-digit declines were also recorded for the following:

• fighting terrorism – from +58 to +39
• eradicating graft and corruption – from +46 to +30
• helping the poor – from +68 to +54
• reconciling with communist rebels – from +37 to +27
• reconciling with Muslim rebels – from +41 to +31

On the other hand, the Duterte administration got “very good” ratings on:

• building and maintenance of public works (+62)
• reconstructing Marawi City (+55)
• promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (+55)
• helping the poor (+54), though satisfaction in this declined, as noted above
• promoting women’s rights (+52)

Meanwhile, it got “good” ratings on:

• protecting human rights (+48)
• transparency in government activities (+43)
• having clear policies (+40)
• fighting terrorism (+39), though satisfaction in this declined, as noted above
• ensuring no family will ever be hungry (+39)
• foreign relations (+39)
• fighting crimes (+37)
• ensuring an efficient public transportation system (+36)
• fulfilling commitments in international treaties (+33)
• deciding quickly (+33)
• reconciling with Muslim rebels (+31), though satisfaction in this declined, as noted above
• eradicating graft and corruption (+30), though satisfaction in this declined, as noted above

It was rated only “moderate” on these two issues, where it saw considerable declines as cited:

• reconciling with communist rebels (+27)
• defending sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (+20)

The -1 rating on fighting inflation was classified as “neutral.”

Decreases in Metro Manila, Visayas

Overall, the survey found that 72% of Filipinos are satisfied, while 15% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and 13% are dissatisfied with the Duterte administration’s general performance. These figures led to a net rating of +58.

According to SWS, the steady rating was “due to increases in net satisfaction in Mindanao and Balance Luzon, combined with decreases in Metro Manila and Visayas.”

In Metro Manila, the rating was down by 11 points to +47 in June from March’s +58. In the Visayas, it decreased by one point to +56 from March’s +57.

Balance Luzon, meanwhile, registered a 4-point increase, from +50 in March to +54 in June. The administration’s rating in Mindanao was also up by 4 points, from +72 to +76.

High among ABC, down among ‘masa’

The Duterte administration continues to enjoy a high net satisfaction rating across all social classes, especially among class ABC – up by 25 points from +56 in March to +81 in June.

Class E, meanwhile, registered a rating of +62 in June or an 8-point increase from March’s +54.

Class D or the “masa” registered the only decline. The net satisfaction rating of the Duterte administration in this socioeconomic class slid by 2 points from +58 in March to +56 in June.

The SWS uses this classification for ratings:

• +70 and above – excellent
• +50 to +69 – 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
• -70 and below – execrable

Conducted among 1,200 adults nationwide, the survey had sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. 

According to SWS, surveys on public satisfaction are “non-commissioned” and “released as a public service.” – Rappler.com