SWS: Public satisfaction with Duterte administration’s performance drops

FILE: The latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that fewer Filipinos were satisfied with the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. (JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

The latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that fewer Filipinos were satisfied with the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

The survey, released on Thursday, showed that 69 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with the general performance of the current administration, while 18 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 11 percent were dissatisfied, resulting to a satisfaction rating of +58, which the SWS classified as “very good.”

Based on the First Quarter 2018 result, there is a 12-point decline from the record-high “excellent” +70 last December 2017.

The pollster noted that the 12-point decrease was due to the decline in the net satisfaction scores in Balance Luzon, Mindanao, and Metro Manila, combined with a steady score in the Visayas.

Duterte’s administration net satisfaction rating remained “excellent” in Mindanao at +72 in March 2018, even though it went down by 15 points from the record-high +87 last quarter of 2017.

Meanwhile, the score stayed “very good” in the Visayas at +57 and Balance Luzon at +50, although there was a 17-point decline from +67 in December last year.

In Metro Manila, it fell by one grade from “excellent” to “very good” at +58 in March 2018 — down by 13 points from +71 in December.

Governance Report Card

Out of 20 specific issues, the Duterte administration scored “excellent” in helping victims of disasters (+75), the SWS said.

The administration, on the other hand, obtained a “very good” rating on six issues which are: Helping the poor (+68), Reconstructing Marawi City (+63), Building and maintenance of public works (+62), Promoting the welfare of OFWs (+59), Fighting terrorism (+58), and Protecting human rights (+54).

Filipinos gave the government a “good” rating on the following 11 issues: Eradicating graft and corruption (+46), Ensuring an efficient public transportation system (+41), Telling the truth to the people (+41), Reconciling with Muslim rebels (+41), Fulfilling commitments in international treaties (+40), Fighting crimes (+40), Having good relations with the UN and other important international organizations (+37), Reconciling with communist rebels (+37), Foreign relations (+36), Defending the country’s territorial rights (+36), and Defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (+34).

The government, meanwhile, got a “moderate” rating on ensuring that no family will ever be hungry (+22), and “neutral” on fighting inflation (+6).

The SWS terminology for net satisfaction ratings is as follows: +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to –9, “neutral”; –10 to –29, “poor”; –30 to –49, “bad”; –50 to –69, “very bad”; –70 and below, “execrable”.

The pollster said it considers the movement from one classification as either an “upgrade” or “downgrade.”

This latest survey, conducted from March 23-27 this year, used face-to-face interview of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above), with sampling error margins of plus-minus three percent for national percentages, and plus-minus six percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.