Aquino satisfaction ratings on rebound

THE satisfaction ratings of President Benigno Aquino 3rd have rebounded, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed on Tuesday.

The survey results, which were first published in BusinessWorld, showed that 68 percent of the respondents said that they were satisfied, 19 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied while only 12 percent were dissatisfied with the performance of the Aquino administration, which gained a “very good” net satisfaction rating of +56.

The pollster said that the current net satisfaction rating was higher than the “good” +45 (June survey) and +46 (March survey) scores.

But it was less than the “very good” +64 recorded in September and November in 2010.

The latest SWS survey said that despite some fluctuations, th Aquino administration’s net satisfaction rating remained better than those of previous administrations since SWS began the survey in February 1989.

16 issues

The pollster said that out of 16 issues covered, the Aquino administration’s net ratings were:

• “very good” in improving the quality of children’s education (+56, but this was the first time this issue was included in the survey) and helping the poor (+50);

• “good” in seven issues: foreign relations (+44), promoting welfare of overseas Filipino workers (+41), telling the truth (+37), fighting terrorism (+34), reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+34), reconciliation with communist rebels (+33) and ensuring an efficient transportation system (+33, first time to be included);

• “moderate” in four issues: eradicating graft and corruption (+27), fighting crime (+26), deciding quickly on important problems (+25) and ensuring that no family will go hungry (+13);

• “neutral” in fighting inflation (+9) and ensuring that oil firms do not take advantage of oil prices (+4); and

• a “poor” -13 in resolving the Maguindanao massacre case with justice.

The latest survey said that compared to the previous quarter, the net satisfaction rating improved in classification across most issues, except in: foreign relations, where it remained “good,” though up by a point; eradicating graft and corruption (up 11 points) and fighting crime (up 3 points), where scores were still classified as “moderate;” fighting inflation (up 5 points) and ensuring that oil firms do not take advantage of oil prices (up 4 points) where ratings remained “neutral;” and resolving the Maguindanao massacre case with justice where the score remained “poor,” despite a 3-point improvement.

Areas, classes

The SWS poll said that compared to the previous quarter, net satisfaction remained “very good” in Mindanao (+63 from +57), “good” in Metro Manila (down to +44 from +48), rose to “very good” from “good” in the Visayas (+51 from +47) and “very good” from “good” in Balance Luzon (Luzon without Metro Manila) (+59 from +37).

It added that the net satisfaction rose to “very good” from “good” for economic Class ABC (+62 from +45), Class D (+57 from +48) and Class E (+52 from +36).

The SWS said that net satisfaction scores of +70 and above are “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.”

Its latest survey, which was conducted on September 4 to 7, 2011, used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and had margins of error of plus or minus 3 percent for national percentages and plus or minus 6 percent for area percentages.

SWS said that its latest survey was non-commissioned and conducted on its own initiative. –JOVEE MARIE N. DELA CRUZ REPORTER, Manila Times