Satisfaction with gov’t back to ‘very good’

PUBLIC SATISFACTION with the Aquino administration has rebounded after a two-quarter decline, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that also found the government scoring better on specific issues.

The poll, conducted last Aug. 24-27, found 72% of respondents satisfied, 10% dissatisfied, and 17% ambivalent with the administration’s performance, yielding a “very good” net rating of +62.

The government’s last “very good” rating was December 2011’s +56, which fell in the next two quarters to +46 and +44 — “good” — in March and May this year. The latest result is just two points short of the record high of +64, hit in September and November 2010.

Asked to rate the Aquino administration on 18 issues, respondents gave it higher scores across the board. The sole negative result — involving the resolution of the Maguindanao massacre — was still an improvement from three months earlier.

“The present national administration’s net satisfaction ratings remain higher than those of all previous administrations,” the SWS said.

It classifies net satisfaction ratings of +70 and above as “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; and -70 and below, “execrable.”

A Malacañang official said the gains showed that Filipinos remained generally satisfied with the Aquino government, while a political analyst urged President Benigno S. C. Aquino III use his popularity to pursue difficult political and economic reforms.

The third quarter poll, the results of which were made exclusive to BusinessWorld, showed respondents as most satisfied with the way the government was helping disaster victims. It scored an “excellent” +73, up from the “very good” +50 in March when the issue was last tested and surpassing the previous record of a “very good” +58, hit in December 2011.

Torrential rains inundated Metro Manila and surrounding provinces in August, resulting in massive flooding and partial paralysis of businesses in some areas. The same week, the government announced a plans to address the metropolis’ perennial flood problem.

The administration, meanwhile, saw its scores rise to “very good” from “good” with regard to helping the poor (+59, up from +35), promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (+54 from +39), foreign relations (+51 from +33), and defending the country’s territorial rights (+50 from +35). All four issues were last tested in May.

It received “good” net ratings on nine issues: distributing lands (+45 from May’s “good” +34), transparency (+44 from March’s “good” +42), fighting terrorism (+43 from May’s “moderate” +19), providing jobs (+43 from the Arroyo government’s “poor” -17 in March 2006 when the issue was last tested), fighting crimes (+42 from May’s “moderate” +16), promoting foreign investments (+42 from March’s “good” +33), eradicating graft and corruption (+40 from May’s “moderate” +12), reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+33 from May’s “moderate” +14), and reconciliation with Communist rebels (+31 from May’s “neutral” +9).

“Moderate” ratings were obtained with regard to ensuring that no family will be hungry (+26 from May’s “neutral” +1), fighting inflation (+19 from May’s “neutral” -6) and ensuring oil firms do not take advantage of oil prices (+13 from May’s “poor” -12).

The administration’s only negative mark was a “neutral” -4 on the issue of resolving the Maguindanao massacre case with justice, but this up significantly from May’s “poor” -16.

Net satisfaction with the government’s overall performance likewise improved across all areas, rising to a new record high of +64 (“very good”) in Visayas from May’s “moderate” +29. It also increased in Balance Luzon (a “very good” +65 from a “good” +45), Metro Manila (a “very good” +56 from a “good” +41), and Mindanao (a slightly higher “very good” +59 from +58 previously).

Net satisfaction rose to “very good” from “moderate” among the ABC class (a record +69 from +27), to “very good” from “good” in class D or the masa (+62 from +44), and stayed “very good” in class E (+60 from +50).

“The high rating obtained by the national administration stems from the high approval and trust ratings of President [Benigno S. C.] Aquino [III]. We are determined to do our best in implementing the President’s reform programs in fulfillment of his social contract with the Filipino people,” Sec. Herminio B. Coloma, Jr. of the Presidential Communications and Operations Office said in a text message.

Ramon C. Casiple, political analyst at the University of the Philippines, said: “[the results are] consistent with surveys during the same period. People are generally satisfied with the government under PNoy.”

The president, said Mr. Casiple, should use his popularity for “difficult political and economic decisions on anti-warlordism, human rights violations, peace settlement, land redistribution, progressive taxation.”

The SWS’ Aug. 24-27 survey involved face-to-face interviews of 1,200 individuals nationwide. The sampling error margins used were +/-3% for national and +/-6% for area percentages.