SWS: Arroyo admin approval falls to -21, lowest since 1989

MANILA, Philippines - The Arroyo government’s satisfaction rating fell to a record low, making it the least popular administration since presidents Aquino, Ramos, and Estrada. In its survey from June 27 to 30, the Social Weather Station (SWS) said the Arroyo administration suffered a record-low -21 satisfaction rating, with nearly half of adult Filipinos—at 49 percent—dissatisfied with the President’s performance. On the other hand, less than a third—at 28 percent—were satisfied with her performance. The net satisfaction rating—the difference between adult Filipinos who were pleased and disgruntled with Arroyo’s performance—is “the lowest for any administration in the SWS surveys since February 1989," said the SWS in its website. The latest net satisfaction rating of the national administration is two points lower than the –19 (29percent satisfied, 48percent dissatisfied) in the first quarter 2008. However, it has been declining for three consecutive quarters since September 2007, when it was a neutral +9. On the other hand, the SWS said 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," it noted. SWS said the national administration’s net satisfaction rating fell by 18 points in the Visayas, from net –8 (36 percent satisfied, 44 percent dissatisfied) in March to –26 (26 percent satisfied, 52 percen dissatisfied) in June, a new record-low for that area. In Mindanao, it fell by 6 points, from –17 (28 percent satisfied, 45 percent dissatisfied, correctly rounded) to –23 (27 percent satisfied, 50 percent dissatisfied). On the other hand, the national administration's net satisfaction rating in Metro Manila rose by 5 points, from –32 (25 percent satisfied, 57 percent dissatisfied) to –27 (27 percent satisfied, 54 percent dissatisfied). It rose by 4 points in Balance Luzon, from –20 (28 percent satisfied, 48 percent dissatisfied) in March to –16 (29 percent satisfied, 45 percent dissatisfied) in June. Arroyo rating worsening among poor, middle-classes The SWS said its June 2008 survey found dissatisfaction with the national administration worsening among the poor class Es and the middle-to-upper classes ABCs. It said net satisfaction rating of the national administration fell by 6 points among the class Es, from –19 (28 percent satisfied, 47 percent dissatisfied) in the previous quarter to –25 (28 percent satisfied, 53 percent dissatisfied) now, a new record-low for this group. Also, it fell by 6 points among the class ABCs, from –18 (32 percent satisfied, 50 percent dissatisfied) to –24 (23 percent satisfied, 47 percent dissatisfied). Net satisfaction with the national administration remained at net –19 among the masa or class Ds, from 29 percent satisfied and 48 percent dissatisfied in March, to 28 percent satisfied and 47 percent dissatisfied in June. The SWS also said the national administration was rated moderate on two issues, mediocre on five, and poor on three. It said the June 2008 survey found moderate net ratings (from +11 to +30) on helping the poor, with 50 percent satisfied and 35 percent dissatisfied, or net +15, and foreign relations, with 42 percent satisfied and 29 percent dissatisfied, or net +13. The administration received mediocre ratings (from –10 to +10) on the issues of reconciliation with Muslim rebels, at +10 (41 percent satisfied, 31 percent dissatisfied), fighting terrorism, at +10 (43percent satisfied, 33 percent dissatisfied), distributing lands to deserving tillers, at +8 (42 percent satisfied, 34 percent dissatisfied), ensuring that medicines are affordable, at +4 (42 percent satisfied, 38 percent dissatisfied), and fighting crimes, at +4 (40 percent satisfied, 36 percent dissatisfied). But it obtained poor ratings (from –16 to –22) on the issues of fighting inflation, with net –16 (35 percent satisfied, 51 percent dissatisfied), ensuring that no family will be hungry, with net –18 (30 percent satisfied, 49 percent dissatisfied), and eradicating graft and corruption, with net –22 (29 percent satisfied, 51 percent dissatisfied). Satisfaction improves in ten tested issues On the other hand, public satisfaction improved in 10 tested issues, compared to the previous quarter. Net satisfaction with the administration turned from neutral to positive for four issues: helping the poor rose by 8 points, from +7 to +15, fighting terrorism rose by 5 points, from +5 to +10, foreign relations rose by 9 points, from +4 to +13, and reconciliation with Muslim rebels rose by 7 points, from +3 to +10. It switched from slightly negative to slightly positive for three issues: distributing lands to deserving tillers under the land reform rose by 12 points, from –4 to +8, ensuring that medicines are affordable went up by 13 points, from –9 to +4, and fighting crimes rose by 14 points, from –10 to +4. The negative ratings of three issues decreased: fighting inflation improved by 16 points, from –32 to –16; ensuring that no family will be hungry improved by 8 points, from –26 to –18; and eradicating graft and corruption improved by 7 points, from –29 to –22. The survey was conducted using 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. Sampling error margins of ±3percent for national percentages and ±6percent for area percentages applied to the survey, said SWS. - GMANews.TV