SWS: Public satisfaction with govt falls 6 points, lowest since May 2012

Public satisfaction with the government’s performance in the first quarter of 2014 fell to its lowest since May 2012, a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations showed.

SWS, which posted the results on its media partner BusinessWorld Tuesday night, said this was the lowest since the +44 net satisfaction score it got in May 2012.

In the survey, the government’s net satisfaction fell from a “very good” +51 (71 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied, 10 percent undecided) in December to a “good” +45 (65 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied, 10 percent undecided) in March.

ALso, it saw declines in scores on issues such as:

– helping victims of disasters (+60 from September’s +68)
– foreign relations (+44 from a “very good” +50 three months earlier)
– defending the country’s territorial rights (+44 from a “very good” +52)
– transparency in government activities (+43 from September’s “very good” +51)
– providing jobs (+30 from +36 last September)
– fighting terrorism (+27 from a “good” +33 in December)

However, it saw improvements in its scores on:

– helping the poor (“very good” +55 from December’s “good” +49)
– reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+38 from a “moderate” +21 in December)
– reconciliation with Communist rebels (+34 from a “moderate” +21)
– fighting crimes (+22 from +18)
– stopping graft and corruption (+14 from “neutral” +8)
– ensuring that no family will be left hungry (+7 from +2)
– fighting inflation (+4 from a “poor” -10)
– ensuring that oil companies don’t take advantage of oil prices (-3 from a “poor” -14).

The Aquino administration’s highest rating was in June 2013, at +66, the SWS said.

However, the Aquino administration’s scores were still higher than those of past administrations.

SWS said the highest public satisfaction rating for a previous government was a “good” +36, in November 1998 under then President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

SWS 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.”

The SWS survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide, with sampling error margins of ±3% for national and ±6% for area percentages.

The Aquino administration’s rating fell eight points but stayed “very good” in Mindanao at +56. It rose by seven points in Metro Manila to a “good” +37.

But scores fell in Balance Luzon to a “good” +41 (down 11 points) and in the Visayas to +45 (down six points).

Ratings by economic class, issues

By socioeconomic class, satisfaction fell to a “good” +32 (down 22 points) among the ABC, down six points to +45 among Class D (masa), and down two points among Class E to +48.

The survey showed the government scored “very good” in three issues, “good” in seven issues, “moderate” in three issues, “neutral” in three issues, and “bad” in one issue.

It scored “very good” in:

– providing basic elementary and high school education (+63 from +67 last September);
– helping victims of disasters (+60 from September’s +68)
– helping the poor (a “very good” +55 from December’s “good” +49)

The government had “good” ratings in:

– foreign relations (+44 from a “very good” +50 in December)
– promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (unchanged at +44)
– defending the country’s territorial rights (+44 from a “very good” +52)
– transparency in government activities (+43 from September’s “very good” +51)
– reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+38 from a “moderate” +21 in December)
– reconciliation with Communist rebels (+34 from a “moderate” +21)
– providing jobs (+30 from +36 last September)

It had “moderate” scores in:

– fighting terrorism (+27 from a “good” +33 in December)
– fighting crimes (+22 from +18)
– eradicating graft and corruption (+14 from “neutral” +8)

The government had “neutral” ratings in:

– ensuring that no family will be left hungry (+7 from +2)
– fighting inflation (+4 from a “poor” -10)
– ensuring that oil companies don’t take advantage of oil prices (-3 from a “poor” -14).

Even in the issue of resolving the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, the government’s score improved to a “bad” -41 from the “very bad” -51 in December. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News