Visayas brings down gov't rating to record-low: SWS survey
abs-cbnnews.com | 07/28/2008 2:17 PM
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Public satisfaction with the Arroyo administration's general or overall performance plunged to a record-low in the latest survey as people from the Visayas, formerly its strongest base of support, became more critical, according to an independent polling outfit.
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) disclosed Monday that the public's net satisfaction with the Arroyo administration's general performance plunged in the second quarter of 2008 to a record low of minus 21. This was two points lower than the minus 19 in the first quarter of this year.
The results were released hours before President Arroyo was set to deliver her eighth State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Congress.
Conducted from June 27 to 30, 2008, the non-commissioned survey showed that 49 percent were dissatisfied with the overall performance of the national administration while 28 percent of them were satisfied.
The Arroyo administration’s net satisfaction rating of minus 21 for overall performance is the lowest of any administration since the fall of the Marcos government in 1986.
"Past administrations also had negative ratings at certain times. In November 1990, the Aquino administration received its lowest net satisfaction rating of -10. In October 1995, the Ramos administration obtained its worst low of net -18. During Estrada's term, the lowest net satisfaction rating was net -8 in December 1999," the SWS said.
Record-low in Visayas
The public's net satisfaction rating with the Arroyo administration's general performance fell significantly by 18 points in the Visayas from –8 (36% satisfied, 44% dissatisfied) in March to a record –26 (26% satisfied, 52% dissatisfied) in June.
The SWS said this was a "new record-low" in the Visayas.
The SWS also noted that public's net satisfaction with the administration’s general performance has been declining for three consecutive quarters since September 2007 when it was a neutral at +9.
The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It has a margin of error of plus/minus 3% for national percentages.
In Mindanao, the public's net satisfaction rating with the Arroyo administration's overall performance fell by six points from –17 (28% satisfied, 45% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) to –23 (27% satisfied, 50% dissatisfied).
In Metro Manila, however, it rose by 5 points from –32 (25% satisfied, 57% dissatisfied) to –27 (27% satisfied, 54% dissatisfied).
It also rose by 4 points in Balance Luzon from –20 (28% satisfied, 48% dissatisfied) in March to –16 (29% satisfied, 45% dissatisfied) in June
Classes E, ABC more dissatisfied
The net satisfaction rating with the national administration has been worsening among the poorest class E and the middle-to-upper classes ABC, the SWS noted.
The net satisfaction rating of the Arroyo administration's overall performance fell by 6 points among those in class E, from minus 19 (28% satisfied, 47% dissatisfied) in the previous quarter to a record minus 25 (28% satisfied, 53% dissatisfied) in the second quarter.
It also fell by 6 points among the class ABCs from negative 18 (32% satisfied, 50% dissatisfied) to negative 24 (23% satisfied, 47% dissatisfied).
Net satisfaction with the national administration's overall performance remained at negative 19 among the class D, from 29 percent satisfied and 48 percent dissatisfied in March to 28 percent satisfied and 47 percent dissatisfied in June.
Key issues
On the performance of the national administration in terms of 10 key issues, the corresponding net satisfaction ratings were as follows:
Moderate net ratings (from +11 to +30)
· Helping the poor, net rating of +15 (50% satisfied, 35% dissatisfied)
· Foreign relations, +13 (42% satisfied, 29% dissatisfied)
Mediocre ratings (from –10 to +10)
· Peace talks with the Moro rebels, +10 (41% satisfied, 31% dissatisfied)
· Terrorism, +10 (43% satisfied, 33% dissatisfied)
· Land distribution to deserving tillers, +8 (42% satisfied, 34% dissatisfied)
· Access to affordable medicine, +4 (42% satisfied, 38% dissatisfied),
· Anti-crime campaigns, +4 (40% satisfied, 36% dissatisfied)
Poor ratings (from –16 to –22)
· Fighting inflation, –16 (35% satisfied, 51% dissatisfied)
· Addressing hunger, –18 (30% satisfied, 49% dissatisfied)
· Eradicating graft and corruption, –22 (29% satisfied, 51% dissatisfied)
The SWS noted, however, that the Arroyo administration’s net performance ratings on these issues improved compared to the previous quarter.
Net satisfaction with the national administration's performance turned from neutral to positive in four issues: helping the poor, which rose by 8 points from +7 to +15; fighting terrorism, up by 5 points from +5 to +10; foreign relations, up by 9 points from +4 to +13; and reconciliation with Muslim rebels, up by 7 point from +3 to +10.
It switched from slightly negative to slightly positive in three issues: distributing lands to deserving tillers under the land reform, rose by 12 points from –4 to +8; access to cheap medicine, up by 13 points from –9 to +4; and fighting crimes, up by 14 points from –10 to +4.
The Arroyo administration’s negative ratings on three issues also decreased: fighting inflation, up by 16 points from –32 to –16; addressing hunger, up by 8 points from –26 to –18; and eradicating graft and corruption, improved by 7 points from –29 to –22.
