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Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Pinoys believe they're 'worse off' today: survey
MANILA -- Many Filipinos continue to be dissatisfied with President Arroyo's performance, resulting in her getting a net rating of only seven percent, her lowest since she assumed the presidency in January 2001, a Pulse Asia survey showed.
Forty-one percent of the respondents of the survey conducted from October 22 to November 6 said they were satisfied with Arroyo's performance while 34 percent said they were not satisfied with how Arroyo was running government or a net performance rating of seven percent.
Twenty-five percent of the respondents were undecided.
The Pulse Asia survey also showed that 60 percent of Filipinos believe their lives are worse off now than last year and an even bigger 78 percent consider the national quality of life as having deteriorated in the past 12 months.
Nearly half or 47 percent of Filipinos expect their lives to worsen next year while 65 percent or two in three think the country's situation is headed for worse next year.
An Arroyo aide, Malacaņang Communications Director Silvestre Afable Jr., said Arroyo has expected her ratings to plunge and it is the price she is paying for "doing what is right."
"We are reaping the political cost of oil price hikes not of our own making and of putting our fiscal house in order. The crunch in approval ratings is being borne across almost all our leadership institutions," Afable said in a statement.
Arroyo's latest rating represents a 26-point drop from her marks last June, which were at 55 percent approval and 22 percent disapproval or a net rating of 33 percent.
Twenty-two percent were undecided.
The 34 percent disapproval rating was the highest that Arroyo got ever since she became president.
Her second lowest net rating was at 14 percent, in a survey conducted September 2003 or less than two months after the Oakwood mutiny.
Her lowest approval rating is 41 percent, which she obtained in the September 2003 and October 2004 surveys.
Her highest net rating was 48 percent in March 2001, shortly after she assumed office.
Pulse Asia attributed the plunge in Arroyo's rating to political and economic problems such as the rising prices of oil products and basic commodities and the allegations of graft and corruption against Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) head Winston Garcia.
The polling firm also said Arroyo got the highest disapproval rating among the country's top five government officials.
Arroyo's seven percent net approval rating is way below that of Vice President Noli de Castro (51 percent), Senate President Franklin Drilon (40 percent), Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (22 percent) and Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. (18 percent).
Afable said government was moving to "buck the trend" through its anti-corruption campaign, austerity measures and its partnership with Congress to pass needed tax measures.
He believed the low rating "is not a verdict on overall presidential leadership" but merely the people's expression of concern over the social impact of high oil prices and fiscal reforms.
He also said Arroyo has shown resiliency when suffering low ratings and he sees that "the trend will rise" as government advances its 10-point pro-poor agenda.
Afable said Malacaņang's internal survey showed that most people understand that the nation's problems are not Arroyo's fault and that they just accumulated from past administrations.
He added the same survey also showed that Arroyo has "the best plan to turn around the economy" and that the public supports political leaders who help her implement her plan.
Pulse Asia noted a constant rise in disapproval ratings of government officials across socioeconomic classes from June to October.
The biggest movement of 20 points was recorded among those with some high school education or vocational training and those who farm for a living.
Majority of Filipinos also gave disapproval ratings to the Arroyo administration's efforts to address problems that they believe are vital concerns.
The top 10 most urgent national concerns according to majority of the 1,200 respondents are (in order): controlling inflation or the high prices of basic goods; fighting graft and corruption in government; ensuring peace in the country; reducing poverty; addressing the low pay of workers; working towards national economic recovery; abolishing or decreasing the Purchased Power Adjustment (PPA); restoring the people's trust in government and its officials; fighting criminality; and ensuring the human rights of each citizen.
Rapid population growth was considered the least of national concerns.
Disapproval ratings were higher in the Arroyo government's efforts to control inflation (54 percent disapproval against 25 percent approval), reduce poverty (48 percent disapproval against 29 percent approval), eradicate graft and corruption in government (47 percent disapproval against 32 percent approval), increase the pay of workers (45 percent disapproval against 34 percent approval), work for economic recovery (37 percent disapproval against 36 percent approval), and restore people's trust in government and its officials (33 percent disapproval against 32 percent approval).
The score was even at 35 percent for both approval and disapproval on curbing fast population growth. (JMR)
(November 23, 2004 issue)
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