SWS: GMA final rating improves to -17%

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s satisfaction rating improved in her final three months in power but remained negative as it was in the last six years of her nine-year governance, a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The Second Quarter 2010 Social Weather Survey, conducted from June 25 to 28, found 35 percent satisfied and 51 percent dissatisfied with Mrs. Arroyo’s performance, for a net rating of -17, termed as “poor.”

Arroyo’s final net satisfaction rating is a rebound of 36 points from her record-low very bad score of -53 (16 percent satisfied, 69 percent dissatisfied) in March, the SWS said.

“Although not as low as before, her final negative rating implies that she was steadily unpopular for almost six years, from October 2004 to June 2010,” the survey institution said.

SWS said dissatisfaction with Arroyo, now the representative of Pampanga’s second district, eased form “very bad” to “poor” in all areas.

It rose by 43 points in Mindanao, from -54 (16 percent satisfied, 69 percent dissatisfied) in March to -11 (38 percent satisfied, 49 percent dissatisfied) in June.

It improved by 38 points in balance Luzon, from -52 (16 percent satisfied, 68 percent dissatisfied) to -14 (34 percent satisfied, 48 percent dissatisfied).

In Metro Manila, it rose by 36 points from -64 (13 percent satisfied, 77 percent dissatisfied) to -28 (30 percent satisfied, 59 percent dissatisfied), and by 25 points in the Visayas, from -46 (20 percent satisfied, 66 percent dissatisfied) to -21 (35 percent satisfied, 56 percent dissatisfied).

Urban satisfaction with the former chief executive rose from 16 percent in March to 33 percent in June, while dissatisfaction fell from 72 percent to 53 percent, bringing her urban net satisfaction rating up by 36 points from -56 to -20.

Rural satisfaction with Arroyo, meanwhile, rose from 17 percent to 37 percent, while dissatisfaction fell from 66 percent to 49 percent, bringing her rural net rating up by 37 points, from -49 to -12.

Arroyo’s net rating also became less negative in all classes, the SWS said.

Her net satisfaction rating rose by 47 points in class E, from a very bad -53 (16 percent satisfied, 70 percent dissatisfied) in March, to a neutral -6 (41 percent satisfied, 46 percent dissatisfied) in June.

It rose by 33 points in class ABC, from a very bad -51 (18 percent satisfied, 69 percent dissatisfied) before, to a poor -18 (33 percent satisfied, 51 percent dissatisfied) now.

It improved by 32 points in class D or the masa, from a very bad -52 (16 percent satisfied, 69 percent dissatisfied) in the previous quarter, to a poor -20 (33 percent satisfied, 53 percent dissatisfied) in June.

SWS said dissatisfaction with Arroyo became less negative among men and women.

Compared to the previous quarter, satisfaction with Arroyo among women rose from 17 percent to 37 percent, while dissatisfaction fell from 67 percent to 49 percent, bringing her net satisfaction score up by 38 points from a very bad -50 to a poor -12.

Among men, satisfaction with her performance rose from 16 percent to 32 percent, while dissatisfaction fell from 71 percent to 54 percent, bringing her net rating 34 points up from a very bad -55 to a poor -21.

The non-commissioned survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

It has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages.

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”; and -50 or lower, “very bad.”  –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)