Public dissatisfaction, distrust of Arroyo remain ‘unchanged’

ON the eve of a promised glitzy State of the Nation Address before Congress, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo continues to be distrusted by a “big plurality” of Filipinos who also remains critical of her performance, Pulse Asia disclosed today.

The polling firm’s latest Ulat ng Bayan survey, its second for the month, reports that 44 percent or about 21 million Filipino adults disapprove of Arroyo’s performance while 47 percent or nearly 22.5 million Filipino adults do not trust her. These figures are practically the same as the March 2006 figures where 50 percent expressed disapproval and 50 percent expressed distrust.

“No president before her has experienced as extended a period of low public esteem,” the survey pointed out, saying that public disenchantment in terms of low approval and trust ratings generally improve for Philippine presidents within two to three quarters during their terms.

In contrast, only 26 percent gave a positive assessment of Arroyo’s work while 23 percent said they have trust in her. On the other hand, 29 percent belong to those who are uncertain about Arroyo’s performance while 30 percent cannot say whether they trust or distrust her. On the whole, the said figures are likewise consistent with the March 2006 survey results.

Though it noted a drop in Arroyo’s overall disapproval and distrust ratings from July 2005 to July 2006 (from 58 percent to 44 percent and from 59 percent to 47 percent, respectively), Pulse Asia however said that Arroyo’s current overall approval and trust ratings are still nowhere near her average ratings from 2001 to 2004. During that period, Arroyo had average overall approval ratings of 46 percent to 56 percent and average overall trust ratings of 40 percent to 51 percent.

“Despite her administration’s aggressive campaigns to highlight several economic programs and numerous social amelioration projects, President Arroyo has yet to regain the public’s trust and the people’s appreciation of her performance as Chief Executive,” the survey said.

Moreover, “big pluralities to small majorities” of Filipinos are critical of the Arroyo administration’s performance on the following most often-cited urgent national concerns:

• inflation (55 percent)
• workers’ pay (50 percent)
• economic recovery (36 percent)
• graft and corruption (34 percent)
• poverty (34 percent)

Except for economic recovery, the government scored “big plurality to small majority” disapproval ratings (46 percent to 55 percent). Filipinos, the survey said, are particularly most critical of the Arroyo government’s efforts to control the rising prices of good and services — cited by about 26 million Filipino adults as requiring immediate attention.

While the Arroyo administration’s efforts in the areas of national economic recovery, poverty reduction, and controlling inflation are now more appreciated (+7 to +10 percentage points) than they were a year ago, higher levels of ambivalence are however now recorded in the areas of economic recovery, graft and corruption, and poverty reduction (+9 to +13 percentage points).

A full year after recording their worst assessment of the Arroyo administration’s performance in addressing urgent national concerns, most Filipinos are not about to change their negative sense, as reflected in the non-majority approval the government received with regard to all of the critical national concerns mentioned.

Only recently, a Pulse Asia survey found that one in two Filipinos who are aware of Arroyo’s past SONAs is uncertain if she has been telling them the truth.

Conducted to 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above, the recent Pulse Asia nationwide survey has a plus/minus 3-percent error margin at the 95-percent confidence level. The complete report can be accessed here.