Salaries, inflation, jobs top issues Pinoys want to be discussed in Duterte’s 4th SONA — Pulse Asia

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Joint Session of the 17th Congress at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives Complex in Constitution Hills, Quezon City on July 23, 2018. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Higher wages, lower prices of basic goods, and employment were the top issues that Filipinos want to be discussed on President Rodrigo Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), according to the latest Pulse Asia survey revealed on Friday, July 20.

The survey, done from June 24 to 30, asked its 1,200 respondents, “Ano po ang pinakagusto ninyong talakayin o banggitin ni Presidente Duterte sa darating niyang Ulat sa Bayan o SONA (What do you want to be discussed or mentioned by President Duterte in his upcoming State of the Nation Address or SONA)?”

To this, 17.1 percent of them said they want Duterte to talk about increasing the pay of workers, and another 17.1 percent would want to hear about the government’s plan on reducing the prices of goods. Meanwhile, 15.2 percent said they want the creation of more jobs or livelihood opportunities to be discussed.

On the other hand, 9.2 percent of respondents said the Chief Executive should also touch the issues surrounding the relations between the Philippines and China in his upcoming SONA.

In particular, the pollster said 6.1 percent are of the opinion that Duterte should assert the country’s sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, while 3.1 percent said he should explain the Philippines’ policy in relation to China.

Other topics mentioned by the respondents were fighting illegal drugs at 7.8 percent and improving the agricultural sector at 5.9 percent.

The top issue that Metro Manila residents want to be discussed is about Philippine-Chinese relations at 20.2 percent, while the rest of Luzon are much interested in the topic about worker’s pay at 21.7 percent. Visayans and Mindanaoans, for their part, would most want the President to talk about inflation at 16.8 percent and 18.5 percent respectively.

Among socioeconomic classes, class ABC’s top SONA topic is the relations between the Philippines and China at 21.3 percent, while class D’s top topic is the workers’ pay at 18.8 percent. For class E, it is lower prices of basic commodities at 20.8 percent.

The same survey also found that 75 percent of Filipino are aware of Duterte’s previous SONAs.

The poll, which used face-to-face interviews with its respondents, has an error margin of plus or munis 2.8 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Duterte is set to deliver his fourth SONA on Monday, July 22, at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. He previously said that he might use this opportunity to “educate” Filipinos on the constitutionality of his decision to allow China to fish in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Yung sabi nila unconstitutional (They are saying that it is unconstitutional), well you wait. Maybe sa (during the) SONA I will educate people na ‘yung ginawa ko, sabi ko ‘you can fish,’ tama talaga ako. Hindi maging unconstitutional ‘yan (that what I did, I said, ‘you (China) can fish,’ I’m right. It is not unconstitutional),” Duterte earlier said.