Marcos admin approval, trust ratings drops - survey

In PAHAYAG Third Quarter (PQ3) survey, economic difficulties such as 4.3% slower economic growth and rising oil and commodity prices have adversely affected national leaders' approval and trust ratings, notably President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.

The survey shows significant drops in the approval rating of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with a decrease from 62% to 55% in PQ3 compared to PQ2, and a trust rating decline from 54% to 47% in the same period.

Vice President Sara Duterte also experienced a decline in approval, dropping from 67% in PQ2 to 62% in PQ3, and her trust rating decreased from 61% to 55% during the same period.

Other top national leaders have also been adversely affected in terms of their approval and trust ratings. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri's approval rating has dropped from 48% in PQ2 to 43% in PQ3, and his trust rating has declined from 37% to 33%.

House Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez has seen a decrease in his approval rating from 42% in PQ2 to 37% in PQ3, along with a trust rating drop from 32% to 29%. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo's approval rating has gone down from 38% in PQ2 to 36% in PQ3, and his trust rating has also decreased from 32% to 29%.

The survey revealed that the performance ratings of newly-elected Senators Joel Villanueva (from 52% to 47%), Sherwin Gatchalian (from 52% to 47%), Mark Villar (from 48% to 41%), Robin Padilla (from 47% to 43%), and Loren Legarda (from 49% to 45%) have likewise experienced significant drops, raising questions about the approval and trust ratings of top government officials.

Senator Raffy Tulfo is not also spared from the downtrend albeit from 73% to 70% but remains a consistent top performer among newly-elected officials. These shifts come at a crucial time for the nation as it grapples with various challenges, most especially inflation.

Vice President Sara Duterte remains notable for her strong and fearless image, setting her apart from other prominent officials in the Philippines. The remaining three top officials generally maintained their established personality perceptions.

On the assessment of the PBBM Administration and its Cabinet Members, the overall approval rating of all Cabinet members in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Administration has experienced a significant decline, dropping from 60% to 53%.

This decline in PBBM's approval rating extends to his Cabinet members and is notably driven by South Luzon, where it has decreased from 54% to 45%, as well as in Visayas, where it has fallen from 65% to 53%. The other regions have also made slight contributions to this downward trend.

The top Cabinet members with the highest approval ratings are Vice President Sara Duterte (in her role as DepEd Secretary) at 52%, Secretary Gibo Teodoro (Department of National Defense - DND) with 46%, President Bongbong Marcos (Department of Agriculture - DA) with 46%, the late Secretary Susan Ople (Department of Public Works and Highways - DMW) with 45%, Secretary Rex Gatchalian (Department of Social Welfare and Development - DSWD) with 43%, Secretary Benjamin Diokno (Department of Finance - DOF) with 41%, and Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. (Department of the Interior and Local Government - DILG) with 40%.

Respondents agreement on the President's self-appointment as Agriculture Secretary has diminished from 57% to 53%, where he must address the shortage in rice, sugar and other agricultural products, which is likely contributing to rising inflation.

Meanwhile, respondents on the Vice President’s appointment as Education Secretary has significantly declined to 60% from 66% last quarter.

The controversial confidential and intelligence fund is now at the forefront as the most pressing issue affecting her overall performance.

The PAHAYAG 2023 Third Quarter Survey (PQ3) is an independent and non-commissioned survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc. between 7-12 September 2023.

It is a nationwide purposive survey with 1,500 voter-respondents randomly drawn from a market research panel of over 200,000 Filipinos maintained by PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with a multinational presence. (PR)