Satisfaction with Duterte gov’t back to ‘excellent’: SWS

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over the 46th Cabinet Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on March 2, 2020. REY BANIQUET/PRESIDENTIAL FILE PHOTO

MANILA – Public satisfaction with the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration has improved in the fourth quarter of 2019, after it recovered to “excellent,” based on a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll.

The SWS Dec. 13-16, 2019 survey found that 81 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with the work of the Duterte government, while only 7 percent were dissatisfied. Meanwhile, 12 percent were ambivalent on the matter.

The poll results yielded a net satisfaction score of “excellent” +73, up by 6 percent from “very good” +67 recorded in September 2019.

The latest net satisfaction rating also matched the record-high “excellent” +73 earned by the current administration in June 2019, SWS noted.

The six-point rise in the national government’s over-all net satisfaction was due to increases in Balance Luzon (“excellent” +72 from “very good” +63), Visayas (“excellent” +80 from “excellent” +70), Mindanao (“excellent” +72 from “excellent” +70), and Metro Manila (“excellent” +72 from “excellent” +70).

The net satisfaction with the government also rose by one grade from “very good” to “excellent” in rural (+74 from +67) and urban (+73 from +67) areas, as well as among Classes D (+76 from +66) and E (+74 to +68).

It, however, fell from “excellent” to “very good” in Class E (+68 from +78).

The same survey revealed that the Duterte administration registered a “very good” score on helping the poor (+64), fighting terrorism (+61), providing information needed by the citizens to assess the government (+58), having clear policies (+56), developing a healthy economy (+53), reconciling with Muslim rebels (+51), and protecting press freedom (+50).

The government posted a “very good” rating on fighting crimes (+49), reconciling with communist rebels (+48), foreign relations (+47), acting according to people’s wants (+45), defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (+32), and eradicating graft and corruption (+31).

It obtained a “moderate” score on ensuring that no family will ever be hungry (+29), recovering the supposed hidden wealth of late president Ferdinand Marcos’ family and cronies (+25), and fighting inflation (+12).

Around 1,200 adult Filipinos were interviewed by SWS using sampling error margins of ±3 percentage points for national percentages, and ±6 percentage points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.