MANILA - Malacañang has downplayed the results of a survey released Thursday which again showed a drop in President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's already record negative performance ratings.

The Third Quarter 2009 Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey showed a net satisfaction rating of -38 points for Arroyo.

SWS, an independent poll outfit, said the latest rating is “classified as bad.” If Arroyo's net satisfaction ratings drop further to -50 or lower, it would be classified as "very bad."

The SWS said the survey was conducted from September 18-21, 2009 using face-to-face interviews with 1,800 adults nationwide.

The survey result found 23% satisfied and 62% dissatisfied with President Arroyo's performance.

President’s Arroyo’s net satisfaction rating in the previous survey conducted in June 2009 was -31 points.

Gary Olivar, presidential deputy spokesperson on economic affairs, reiterated Malacañang's usual response to Arroyo's poor survey results.

Olivar said President Arroyo was focused on her governance and not on popularity. He said her survey ratings might have been affected by reports in media.

"She's concerned only on governance, not about popularity. Media is a factor that influences findings of the surveys, but it's beyond our control in an open society,” Oliver said Thursday in a press conference at the Palace.

He added: “By media, I don't mean the folks [Malacañang reporters] in this room. It's the people who write the headlines, the desk editors, the people who write columns on the op-ed pages. These are the influencers and they clearly beyond our control."

Olivar noted that the survey was done during the period of heightened public sentiment for the late President Cory Aquino following her death and the controversy generated by the President's travels.

He said that with the “timely” government response to the two weather disturbances which devastated much of Luzon, especially Metro Manila, her survey ratings may go up.

Anthony Golez, Palace deputy spokesperson, said he hopes that the public would recognize that the government made a “timely response, splendid mobilization of resources.”

Dissatisfaction worse in all aspects

Dissatisfaction with President Arroyo’s performance, in the recent SWS survey, worsened in areas outside Metro Manila.

The net satisfaction rating of the president went down 13 points in Luzon areas outside Metro Manila to -45 points in September (19% satisfied, 64% dissatisfied).

It went down by 6 points in Mindanao at a poor -27 points (30% satisfied, 57% dissatisfied), and worsened by 4 points in the Visayas at a bad -32 (26% satisfied, 58% dissatisfied).

Dissatisfaction in Metro Manila remained high at -46 points net satisfaction.

President Arroyo’s net satisfaction ratings also dropped further in both urban and rural areas, intensified in all classes, according to the survey, and also went down among men or women.

The SWS said the survey was divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila and Mindanao, and 600 each in Balance of Luzon and the Visayas (sampling error margins of ±2.3% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila and Mindanao, and ±4% for Balance Luzon and the Visayas).

It said that the quarterly survey on public satisfaction with President Arroyo is a non-commissioned item was conducted on SWS's "own initiative and released as a public service."

[SWS terminology for Net Satisfaction Ratings: +50 and above, "very good"; +30 to +49, "good"; +10 to +29, "moderate", +9 to -9, "neutral"; -10 to -29, "poor"; -30 to -49, "bad"; -50 or lower, "very bad"]