LIVELIHOOD programs, jobs generations as well as monitoring of prices of basic commodities are the top issues the Filipino expected from new government, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed.
In an interview on 1,200 respondents, 43 percent of Filipinos asked the government to give “livelihood programs”, 33 percent batted for “jobs”, while 32 percent pointed the “prices of basic commodities” as the top three concerns of the constituency.
Making it to the top five list were "helping farmers and agricultural programs" (25); “lower prices of medicines and health programs" (25); and "eradicating graft and corruption in government" (25).
Other issues meanwhile got single-digit preferences, namely: “ensuring food security in the country (six percent)”; “restoring peace in Mindanao” (five percent); “enacting laws” (two percent); “changing the constitution” (two percent), among others.
Across regions, Mindanao-based respondents have a high concern for livelihood with 46 percent while National Capital Region had the least worry at 26 percent.
In contrast, 39 percent of NCR respondents picked jobs as the top concern while only 10 percent from the rest of Luzon listed it as the top priority.
A similar survey released by Pulse Asia last week said 36 percent told the government to provide jobs, 22 percent wanted the government to prioritize price control while 13 percent said addressing corruption should be considered a priority.
Sought for comment, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chairman Elmer Labog said President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is facing rehashed issues that need to be addressed in the next six years.
“It is easier said than done. The Filipino people especially the basic sectors have a high expectation from the Aquino government to be different from the Arroyo regime. But it seems that the Aquino government have started with the wrong foot as its rhetoric is the opposite of the situation on the ground,” he told Sun.Star.
Labog added: “There is even no commitment of improving wages as well as increasing employment, not to mention job security.”
The SWS survey was conducted last June 25 to 28, with a margin of error of plus/minus 3 percent and 6 percent, respectively, for national and area percentages. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)