MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has retained the top spot in the approval rating for Cabinet secretaries.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. garnered the most improved rating among them.

Recent survey results of Pulse Asia, held between Feb. 24 and March 6 this year among 1,200 respondents nationwide, showed that De Lima is the most popular Cabinet member. She garnered a 61 percent approval rating from the public.

Her rating has increased by one percentage point from 60 percent in October 2010.

She dislodged Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman from the top spot.

Soliman’s approval rating dipped six points to 59 percent.

Soliman topped Pulse Asia’s survey late last year, while De Lima topped the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations.

De Lima got a 54 percent approval rating from SWS’s Sept. 24-27 survey. 
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga Jr. were tied at third place with 43 percentage points. Ochoa ranked fourth with 39 percent.

Ochoa was the most improved among the Cabinet officials in terms of public approval rating. He jumped six points from the last survey of Pulse Asia.

The approval ratings of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and Strategic Planning and Development Secretary Ricky Carandang also went up between one and two percentage points at 38 percent and 36 percent.

Other officials who obtained an approval rating of 37 percentage points included Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Presidential Management Staff head Julia Abad.

Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo got 36 percentage points, while Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin received 34 percent.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma got 31 percentage points.

Soliman in second place

In the September 2010 SWS survey, Soliman ranked second to De Lima with a “moderate” net satisfaction rating of 26 (47 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied); followed by Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim with +16 (38 percent satisfied, 22 percent dissatisfied).

Next was former Foreign secretary Alberto Romulo, +14 (38 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied).

He voluntarily resigned and was replaced by Secretary Albert del Rosario.

Other officials who also received moderate ratings were Education Secretary Armin Luistro at +12 (36 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) and Health Secretary Enrique Ona, +10 (34 percent satisfied, 24 percent dissatisfied).

“Neutral” ratings were received by Budget Secretary Abad, +8 (31 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied); Public Works Secretary Singson, +5 (32 percent satisfied, 27 percent dissatisfied); and Finance Secretary Purisima, +4 (28 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied).

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala got +2 (26 percent satisfied, 24 percent dissatisfied); Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, +1 (27 percent satisfied, 26 percent dissatisfied); and Interior Secretary Robredo, +1 (31 percent satisfied and 30 percent dissatisfied).

SWS said it did not include other Cabinet secretaries in its September poll due to lack of space.

However, they would be rated in future SWS surveys, it said.

Sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages were applied in the survey.