More than half of Filipinos believe no one can compare to national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, whose 150th birth anniversary on June 19, a new survey by pollster Pulse Asia said. Its survey released on Friday, Pulse Asia said 51.1 percent of the respondents in their latest survey believe Rizal is incomparable. However, the same survey showed that only 80 percent of the respondents correctly identified Rizal as the country's national hero. The survey used a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Pulse Asia said the sentiment that Rizal is incomparable was shared by near to small majorities across geographic areas (45.3 percent in the Visayas to 62.7 percent in Metro Manila) and socio-economic classes (48.1 percent in Class D to 59.5 percent in Class ABC). People being compared to Rizal Meanwhile, one in 10 survey respondents considered slain former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., the late father of President Benigno Aquino III, as being comparable to Rizal. Even fewer respondents deem the following individuals as being as good as the country’s national hero:
Former President Ferdinand Marcos (5.4 percent) Sarangani Rep. and boxing champ Emmanuel “Manny" Pacquiao (4.8 percent) Former President Corazon “Cory" Aquino (4.0 percent) Andres Bonifacio (3.1 percent) President Benigno Aquino III (3.0 percent). Other personalities were cited by less than 1 percent of survey respondents. Some 6.3 percent were unable to identify any individual that they consider to be comparable to Rizal. Not everyone knows who Rizal is The survey showed that only 81.9 percent of Filipinos correctly identified Rizal as the country's national hero. The survey showed Rizal was correctly identified by overwhelming majorities across geographic areas (64.6 to 95.7 percent) and socio-economic groupings (75.6 percent to 84.6 percent). The highest level of public awareness is recorded in Metro Manila (95.7 percent) while the lowest is registered in the Visayas (64.6 percent). Other "heroes" Meanwhile, some individuals were considered by the survey respondents as Philippine national heroes: Sarangani Representative Emmanuel “Manny" Pacquiao (2.8 percent) Andres Bonifacio (1.9 percent) Former Senator Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. (1.7 percent) President Benigno Aquino III (1.7 percent) Former President Corazon Aquino (1.0 percent) Former President Emilio Aguinaldo (1.0% percent). In contrast, 3.6 percent did not respond to the survey question, 2.4 percent provided names other than those already mentioned earlier, none of which reached 1 percent. "Some 2.1 percent admitted not knowing the country’s national hero," Pulse Asia said. Key developments The survey was conducted May 21 to June 4 using face-to-face interviews. At the time the survey was conducted, the following key developments took place immediately before and during the conduct of the interviews: (1) the search for a new Ombudsman following the resignation of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez on May 6, 2011; (2) the granting of a P22 cost of living allowance (COLA) for Metro Manila workers; (3) the loss of lives and damage to infrastructure and agriculture in Central Luzon and Bicol due to Typhoon Bebeng; (4) the confirmation of several presidential Cabinet appointees, the resignation of Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Jose de Jesus and Bureau of Corrections (BOC) Director Ernesto Diokno, the reported appointment of former Senator Manuel Roxas II to the cabinet and the call for the removal of Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Angelito Alvarez due to his agency’s alleged failure to curb smuggling in the country; (5) the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation into the special treatment extended by prison officials to several high-profile inmates; (6) the Sandiganbayan’s decision to approve the plea bargain agreement between former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Comptroller Ret. Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia and government prosecutors and the Aquino administration’s move to appeal this decision; (7) the resumption of the Senate inquiry into the alleged corruption in the military following the Sandiganbayan’s decision to uphold the said plea bargain agreement; (8) the ongoing debates on proposed legislation regarding reproductive health and divorce; (9) the dispute between the Philippines and China arising from the latter’s intrusion into Philippine territory and airspace around the Spratlys; (10) the fishkill in Batangas and Pangasinan resulting in damages amount to P 190 million; and (11) the increase in pump prices, the rollback in LPG prices, the decline in power charges by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) and the deferment of the LRT/MRT fare hike. - VVP, GMA News 
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
