Survey proves more Pinoys becoming disappointed with Noy— solon

With the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing a drop of 11 percent of Filipinos still dreaming of better lives under the Aquino administration, a member of the House minority bloc yesterday was prompted to declare that more and more Filipinos are becoming disillusioned with the government of President Aquino, disappointed with his campaign promises of a better and progressive future for the Filipinos under his watch anchored on his battle cry “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” (“If no one is corrupt, no one will be poor”).

According to the latest SWS survey, 35 percent of the Filipinos still believe their lives will improve in the next 12 months, compared to 11 percent who said otherwise, for a net rating of 24 percent.

The March survey, however, was 11 points down from November 2010’s “very high” +35 (42 percent optimistic, 7 percent pessimistic).

Aggravating the matters for Aquino was the fact that 36 percent of the respondents claimed their lives had worsened under the President’s watch with only 26 percent saying it improved, resulting in a net gainers-losers score of -13, eight points lower than November’s -5.

Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay, in a text message, yesterday said the drop in the SWS survey indicates that the people earlier had high hopes and expectations that things will change for the better under the Aquino administration.

“When this didn’t materialize, promises have not been fulfilled and solutions to problem besetting the nation has not been offered or implemented, the disappointment has set in that this administration has failed to live up to its commitments,” she stressed.

Magsaysay said Aquino is headed for the worse until he succeeds in arresting the country’s woes and find long-term solutions to address the worsening problems.

“Until the people doesn’t see a firm resolve to straighten things and give long term solutions to pending problem, this might further erode the trust and confidence with this administration as time goes by,” Magsaysay said.

Malacañang,however, attributed the recent decline on the Filipinos’ personal and economic optimism to the ongoing rounds of oil price hikes in the country and its effect to the prices of other basic commodities due to the political crisis in North Africa and the Middle East.

Presidential Communications Group chied Secretary Herminio Coloma told a post-briefing interview that the level of optimism by the public is generally “influenced by events that are occurring in their environment.”

Coloma said the oil price hike was the most dominant event when the SWS surveyed 1,200 respondents in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in its March 4 to 7 poll.

Filipinos’ outlook on the economy this year was far worse as it deteriorated by 26 points from +30 last November to only +4 during the first three months of 2011.

The PCOO chief apparently refused to connect the latest survey to the negative perceptions being raised against the Aquino administration, saying the government would rather look at these particular reports in a positive perspective.

“For us in the administration, those optimism or attitude ratings are very helpful because we look at this as an impetus for us to intensify our efforts to implement the programs of government that we have committed ourselves to implementing especially in the case of having to respond to continuing increases in oil prices and prime commodities,” Coloma said.

Coloma said that while these figures do not spell well for the administration, they consider them as “helpful indicators on the directions” that the government has to pursue toward improving its services to the people.

“We need to provide social safety nets especially to our countrymen in the poorest families. We need to give them the capacity or ability to cope so we could soften, cushion the impact of the ongoing price hikes,” Coloma said.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. previously stated that the Aquino government is working hard to offset the impact of high fuel price increases on the price of basic commodities such as rice, sugar, and other goods which greatly encumber the public.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, at a news conference the other day, said the economic managers were still unable to submit its recommendations to the President on whether the government could afford reducing VAT on oil, increase the minimum wage for private sector employees, as well as the possibility of imposing price controls just to help the general public cope with the skyrocketing prices of oil and other basic commodities.  –Charlie V. Manalo and Aytch S. de la Cruz, Daily Tribune