SWS: Dissatisfaction with Arroyo increasing

Filipinos from all across the country have become increasingly dissatisfied with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s performance, a third quarter survey undertaken by the Social Weather Station (SWS) said. Of 1,800 adults surveyed in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, only 23 percent were satisfied with the President’s accomplishments while 62 percent were not. This translates into a net rating of -38 percent, which is classified as bad, the SWS said in a statement. Worsening dissatisfaction outside Metro Manila and continued high dissatisfaction in the Philippines’ premier urban center also caused the President's overall satisfaction rating to drop. President Arroyo’s net satisfaction rating went down by 13 points in Luzon outside Metro Manila. The rating decline resulted in a showing of -45 –already classified as bad – after those dissatisfied with her performance (64 percent) defeated those who were satisfied (19 percent). The -45 rating is worse that the -32 result in June when 23 percent of those polled said they were satisfied and 55 percent were dissatisfied. The presidential performance rating also dropped by 6 points in Mindanao, hitting -27, considered as ‘poor’ after only 30 percent were satisfied as against those who were dissatisfied at 57 percent. Like the rating for Luzon outside Metro Manila, President Arroyo’s performance rating in September – among those polled in Mindanao –also took a turn for the worse from June. Arroyo’s June rating was already at -21 after 31 percent satisfied and 53 percent dissatisfied. The same sentiments were expressed by residents surveyed in the Visayas. Arroyo’s rating also shed four points among those who lived in the Philippines’ third-largest island, yielding a -32 result. This was after 26 percent said they were satisfied with her performance as against those who disagreed with them at 58 percent. During the previous quarter, the President received a -28 rating from Visayas survey participants after 30 percent said they were satisfied, compared to the 57 percent who were dissatisfied. It remained bad in Metro Manila, at -46 (21 percent satisfied, 66 percent dissatisfied) in September, same as in June with -46 (19 percent satisfied, 65 percent dissatisfied). Urban satisfaction with the President went down by 2 percent to 21 percent in September, from 23 percent in June, while dissatisfaction increased to 65 percent from 61 percent, bringing her urban net satisfaction rating 7 points lower to a bad -44 now, from a bad -37 before. Rural satisfaction with the President went down to 25 percent from 28 percent, while dissatisfaction increased to 59 percent from 52 percent, bringing her rural net rating 18 points down to a bad -34 now, from a poor -23 before. Dissatisfaction increases across classes, gender President Arroyo’s net satisfaction rating declined in all classes, losing 26 points in class ABC, at a very bad -54 (17 percent satisfied, 70 percent dissatisfied) in September, from a poor -28 (27 percent satisfied, 55 percent dissatisfied) in June. Among members of class “E" – considered as the poorest of the poor – the President’s showing also worsened by 12 points to a bad -34 (26 percent satisfied, 60 percent dissatisfied) from a poor -22 (30 percent satisfied, 52 percent dissatisfied) previously. Just about the same sentiments were expressed by survey participants belonging to class D. President Arroyo’s showing fell by 5 points in class D to reach a bad -39 (23 percent satisfied, 62 percent dissatisfied) currently, from a bad -34 (24 percent satisfied, 58 percent dissatisfied) before. Among women, satisfaction with President Arroyo dropped to 23 percent in September from 28 percent in June, while dissatisfaction increased to 61 percent from 54 percent, bringing women's net satisfaction score 11 points down to a bad -37 from a poor -26. Among men, satisfaction with the President dropped to 23 percent from 24 percent, while dissatisfaction increased 4 percent from 59 percent to 63 percent, bringing her net rating 4 points down to a bad -39 from a bad -35. The survey was undertaken from September 18-21, 2009 among a random sampling of 300 each in Metro Manila and Mindanao, and 600 each in Balance of Luzon and the Visayas (sampling error margins of ±2.3 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent for Metro Manila and Mindanao, and ±4 percent for Balance Luzon and the Visayas). National estimates were obtained based on area estimates weighted by National Statistics Office medium-population projections for 2009. The survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews, asked respondents various questions. These included: Please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are in the performance of (name) as President of the Philippines. Are you VERY SATISFIED, SOMEWHAT SATISFIED, UNDECIDED IF SATISFIED OR NOT, SOMEWHAT DISSATISFIED, VERY DISSATISFIED, or YOU HAVE NOT EVER HEARD OR READ ANYTHING ABOUT (NAME)? - Carmela Lapeña, GMANews.TV