President Aquino’s net satisfaction rating has dropped to its lowest level so far, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The poll, conducted from May 24 to 27 and published in BusinessWorld yesterday, showed 63 percent of Filipinos remain satisfied with Aquino’s performance and 21 percent dissatisfied for a net score of +42, down by 7 points from March’s +49 (68 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied).
The SWS noted the President had the biggest dip in satisfaction rating in Metro Manila.
The survey showed that Metro Manila respondents who remain satisfied with Aquino dropped by 24 points, from 72 percent in March to 48 percent in May. The President’s satisfaction rating among the class ABC also declined to +25 from March’s +62 (from 79 percent to 54 percent).
The only recorded improvement was in Mindanao, where Aquino’s net satisfaction score increased by eight points to +61 from +53, staying in “very good” territory.
His scores plunged to a “good” +41 from the “very good” +50 previously in the Visayas, and maintained his “good” score in balance Luzon, but was down four points to +41.
Satisfaction with Aquino in rural areas was almost unchanged at +51 from +52, still “very good,” while urban satisfaction fell to +35, still “good,” from +45.
Aquino’s net rating remained “good” among the class D or masa at +41, slightly lower than March’s +46.
The President maintained his “very good” rating among class E, but was down by two points to +50.
Satisfaction among women, meanwhile, dropped to a “good” +41 from a “very good” +50.
Aquino maintained his “good” rating of +43 among men, although lower than the +48 in March.
The SWS surveyed 1,200 adult Filipinos nationwide.
Noy trust rating drops in Pulse Asia survey
Although Aquino continued to enjoy the trust of a majority of Filipinos in the past three months, a recent Pulse Asia survey noted a slight drop in his approval and trust ratings in May.
Pulse Asia said majority approval ratings are recorded across geographic areas (57 percent to 69 percent) and socio-economic groupings (58 percent to 71 percent). “Only marginal changes in presidential performance and trust ratings occur between March and May 2012,” Pulse Asia said in a statement.
Aquino registered an overall disapproval rating of 10 percent in May, his first double-digit disapproval score since October 2010 and a national indecision rating of 23 percent.
The survey, conducted from May 20 to 26, used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults 18 years old and above.
“Presidential disapproval scores in the different geographic areas (seven percent to 12 percent) and socio-economic classes (nine percent to 10 percent) are generally consistent with the national figure (10 percent),” Pulse Asia said.
“As regards indecision levels, they range from 20 percent to 31 percent across geographic areas and from 18 percent to 32 percent among socio-economic classes,” it said.
Pulse Asia said that while there are no significant differences between the President’s March and May 2012 national performance ratings, it may be noted that his national approval rating has been gradually declining since October 2010.
The survey also found nearly seven in 10 Filipinos or 65 percent who expressed trust in Aquino, slightly lower than the March 2012 figure (69 percent).
Single-digit distrust ratings were obtained in the rest of Luzon and Visayas (eight percent to nine percent) and Class ABC (nine percent), while double-digit figures are posted in Metro Manila and Mindanao (10 percent to 14 percent) and Classes D and E (10 percent). Meanwhile, Pulse Asia said the Aquino administration obtained majority approval ratings on three key issues. A majority of Filipinos approve of the national government’s efforts to fight corruption in government (58 percent), fight criminality (56 percent) and enforce the law equally on all citizens (52 percent).
Palace surprised
Malacañang yesterday expressed bewilderment over the results of the latest SWS survey indicating a drop in the President’s trust and popularity ratings, from a high of +74 to a low of +63.
“That’s why we need a briefing from SWS. What we’re saying is that it gives us pause to see if there are certain realities... Is it consistent with the opinions of the people that were surveyed?” Secretary Edwin Lacierda asked.
The presidential spokesman cited the sudden drop in the satisfaction rating of Aquino within Metro Manila where he is most popular, while his score in Mindanao increased at a time when he was accused of ignoring power outages in the region.
“So these are things that, if you look at it, you look at the background of all the surveys being taken and suddenly you see a response which doesn’t seem to jibe with the reality under which the survey was taken,” he observed.
“But the thing that was really very surprising to us was the drop of ratings in the NCR, the dissatisfaction ratings. That’s something we cannot explain,” he told Palace reporters. – Delon Porcalla
