Aquino gets net performance rating of +62.4% in StratPOLLS’ immediate post-100 days survey official statement to the media

THE people have spoken: 8 out of 10 Filipinos give the thumbs-up sign to the President.

In a nationwide survey by StratPOLLS right at the end of the first 100 days in office of the new government on October 8, Aquino was given by the people a net performance rating of +62.4 percent with 81.2 percent  satisfied with his performance in office and 18.8-percent dissatisfied.

“This is a very good benchmark grade for the President and from the layman’s point of view, everything is coming up roses, notwithstanding the botched hostage crisis and all the labor pains of birth for the new government,” said Prof. Alfredo Sureta, executive director of StratPOLLS.

AQUINO

Among the so-called super regions of the country, Aquino’s performance ratings are follows: NCR with 70.5-percent satisfied against 29.5-percent dissatisfied for a net of +41 percent; Balance Luzon with 83.1-percent satisfied and 16.9-percent dissatisfied for a net of  +66.2 percent; Visayas with 92.2-percent satisfied and 7.8-percent dissatisfied for a net of +84.4 percent; and Mindanao with 79.9-percent satisfied and 20.9-percent dissatisfied for a net of +58.2 percent.

Aquino scored the highest net performance rating in the Visayas with +84.4 percent as compared to NCR where he earned a net performance rating of +41 percent.

Performance in office of the other top officials of the land was also covered in the nationwide survey on the first 100 days of the Aquino presidency, which included Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

It will be recalled that StratPOLLS predicted with fair accuracy the outcome of the 2009 to 2010 presidential campaign that showed Aquino winning overwhelmingly over former President Joseph Estrada, who overtook NP bet Sen. Manuel Villar for second place in the homestretch.

Vice President Binay earned a nationwide  rating of 72.6-percent satisfied and 27.4-percent dissatisfied for a net of +45.2 percent.

Senate President Enrile has 61.1-percent satisfied and 38.9-percent dissatisfied for a net of 22.2-percent.

House Speaker Belmonte earned  42-percent satisfied and 58-percent dissatisfied for a net of -16 percent.

Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona has 45.1-percent satisfied and 54.9-percent dissatisfied for a net of  -9.8 percent.

“Aquino, Binay and Enrile all earned surplus net ratings as they were among the top players in the last media-driven election campaign as subjects of daily but catchy commercial advertisements mostly on television,” said Sureta.

“Conversely, Belmonte and Corona were not exposed to or did not get that much exposure to the public through the media during the same period.

“The residual effects of those high-profile exposures by Aquino,  Binay and Enrile still linger in the subconscious mind of the public, unlike Belmonte, who assumed his position as Speaker only on July 24, when Congress was convened, and Corona, who was named  Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 12, two days after the elections.

BINAY

“Over time we could expect Belmonte and Corona to improve their respective ratings but that would depend on how they are perceived by Filipinos as public servants, true to their calling and devoid of scandals that could dampen their credibility,” said Sureta.

Aquino’s grades on 15 national  issues: from “fight vs corruption” to the subject of “marriage” for the bachelor President

When asked to give grades to President Aquino on how he is facing up to the task insofar as 15 major issues are concerned, the top three are:—as measured from scale one to five with 1 as the lowest—“fight against corruption” with an average score of 4; “rising cost of basic goods and services” 4; “overall improvement of the economy” 4;

However, and as perceived by the people, President Aquino scored poorly in addressing the following issues, at least during the first 100 days in office: “Agrarian Reform” (Hacienda Luisita) two; “environmental protection, one; “solution to power shortage in Mindanao” one.

The survey also included the topic on President Aquino’s marital status where he scored a One or a failing grade, meaning most of those polled want Mr. Aquino to settle down in marriage, although it wasn’t clear when the people want this to happen, at the immediate future or within his term of office.

Justice Secretary de Lima is the top-performing Cabinet member in NCR

Among members of the Aquino Cabinet, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was rated the highest with 59.2-percent satisfied and 40.8-percent dissatisfied for a net of +18.4 percent at least in NCR followed by Department of the Interior and Local Government  Sec. Jesse  Robredo with 54.3-percent satisfied and 45.7-percent dissatisfied for a net of +8 percent  and third is Education Sec.  Armin Luistro 53-percent satisfied and 47 percent dissatisfied for a net of +6 percent.

Sureta explained that unlike those of the top five officials of the land from President Aquino to Chief Justice Corona, the results of the performance ratings of members of the Cabinet and the Senate are still confined to the National Capital Region (NCR) even as data and statistical reports covering Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are still being completed and will be released as soon as these are available.

Sureta attributed the high mark earned by de Lima in NCR to her public exposure through the media during preliminary investigations last year of the high-profile crime dubbed as the “Maguindanao Massacre” and the marathon hearings conducted by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee, of which she was the chairman, on the botched hostage crisis of August 23, which gave her an “extra mileage” in the media.

Senators Revilla, Legarda, Marcos and Escudero are tops

Among the members of the senate, the top four in performance the past 100 days are Senators Bong Revilla, with a net satisfaction rating of +55 percent, Loren Legarda +44 percent, Bongbong Marcos +41 percent and Chiz Escudero +38 percent.

Others are: Senators Pia Cayetano +35 percent, Jinggoy Estrada +29 percent, Vicente Sotto +27 percent, Miriam Santiago and Ralph Recto +23 percent each, Allan Peter Caytetano +21 percent, Kiko Pangilinan +20 percent and Lito Lapid +4 percent.

Sureta explained that the senatorial results are still confined to NCR while the results in Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are still being processed and would be released next week.

The poll interviewed 1,210 adult respondents in 32 key cities of the country, between October 9 and 13  using randomized and stratified methods.

The same survey by StratPOLLS also measured public opinion about the economy, self-rated economic well-being and a few questions on access to the computer and membership in social networks the data of which are now being processed and will be released as soon as these are available.   –Prof. Alfredo S. Sureta / Executive Director, StratPOLLS, Incorporated