SWS: Government performance still bad but improving

MANILA, Philippines – The Arroyo administration’s net satisfaction rating improved by eight points to a still “poor” –11 percent, a Social Weather Stations survey for the second quarter of 2009 said.

The Palace welcomed the latest survey result and attributed it to hard work put in by President Arroyo.

The survey, conducted from June 19 to 22, found 32 percent of adults satisfied and 42 percent dissatisfied with the overall performance of the national administration, for a “poor” net satisfaction rating of –11.

SWS said the net satisfaction ratings of the national administration used to be a poor –19 in February 2009.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the latest ratings were the “fruit of hard work, dedication and efficient leadership.”

SWS said it asked the public to rate the performance of the national administration on specific issues.

“Compared to the previous quarter, the net satisfaction ratings of the national administration were better on 7 out of 13 issues,” the SWS said.

Of the 13 issues tested, SWS said the June 2009 survey found the national administration scoring a “good” net satisfaction rating of +40 on the issue of protecting the public from the outbreak of diseases.”

The national administration received “moderate” ratings on the issues of Foreign relations (+23), Promoting the welfare of overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) (+23), Fighting terrorism (+15), Ensuring that medicines are affordable (+14), Campaigning against illegal drugs (+10), and Helping the poor (+10).

It obtained “neutral” ratings on Reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+9), Protecting the Philippines from the economic crisis in the US and other advanced countries (+4), and Fighting crime (+1).

It switched from “neutral to moderate” for Fighting terrorism, up by 11 points from +4 to +15, and for Ensuring that medicines are affordable, up by eight points from +6 to +14.

It became more positive for promoting the welfare of OFWs, up by seven points from moderate +16 to moderate +23, and for Reconciliation with Muslim rebels, by five points from neutral +4 to neutral +9.

Palace economic spokesman Gary Olivar said while the news was welcome, “this doesn’t change the President’s basic philosophy to govern for performance and posterity, not popularity.”

Olivar added that “polls are fickle, but the President’s achievements will stand the test of time and the judgment of history.”

Meanwhile, the non-commissioned survey showed that the Arroyo administration received poor ratings on Fighting inflation (–14), Ensuring that no family will ever be hungry and have nothing to eat (–21), and Eradicating graft and corruption in the government (–21).

Its rating on the issue of Eradicating graft and corruption switched from “bad to poor” or up by 11 points from –32 to –21.

It became less negative for Ensuring that no family will ever be hungry and have nothing to eat, by five points from poor –26 to poor –21, and Fighting inflation, by three points from poor –17 to poor –14.

SWS said dissatisfaction with the performance of the Arroyo administration eased in all areas, with the sharpest improvement noted in Mindanao.

The national administration’s net satisfaction rating rose by 16 points in Mindanao, switching from a poor –18 in February 2009 to a neutral –2 in June.

It rose by 10 points in Metro Manila, from poor –29 to poor –19, by nine points in the Visayas, from poor –21 to poor –12, and by 4 points in balance Luzon, from poor –16 to poor –12.

SWS defined net satisfaction ratings as follows: +50 and above, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 or lower, “very bad.”

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao, and 600 in the balance of Luzon.   – Helen Flores, Paolo Romero, (The Philippine Star)