MANILA – The majority of Filipinos have shown appreciation for the Office of the President (OP) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) efforts to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the Philippines, a political consultancy firm disclosed.
The PAHAYAG End-of-the-Year survey, conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc. on December 3-9 and released December 22, found that the OP and IATF-EID topped the list of government agencies that were applauded for their Covid-19 response.
The OP and IATF-EID earned the highest approval scores, which were 67.8 percent and 62.667 percent, respectively.
They were also the only government offices to receive approval ratings beyond 60 percent, according to the poll.
“In the assessment of Covid-19 responses, the Office of the President and the IATF garnered total approval levels exceeding 60 percent (68 percent and 63 percent, respectively),” the survey read.
Other national agencies with high approval were the departments of science (57.6 percent), social welfare (56.533 percent), health (54.2 percent), labor (54.067 percent), and local government (52.933 percent); the Presidential Communications Operations Office (51.467 percent); and the agriculture department (51.333 percent).
The departments of transportation (50.933 percent), tourism (50.866 percent), and information and communications technology (50.133 percent) also obtained high approval ratings for their resolve to stop the further spread of Covid-19 in the country, PUBLiCUS noted.
Offices with approval scores below 50 percent were the departments of public works (49.733 percent) and education (48.2 percent); the Senate (47.933 percent), the Commission on Higher Education (47.4 percent); the Supreme Court (46.8 percent), the National Economic and Development Authority (46.2 percent), the budget department (44.867 percent), and the House of Representatives (43.066 percent).
The Office of the Vice President obtained the lowest total approval score of 41 percent, based on the survey.
“Most of the agencies that scored approval levels below 50 percent can be viewed to be policy centric,” PUBLiCUS said.
About 1,500 respondents were interviewed for the independent and non-commissioned poll conducted by PUBLiCUS.
Covid still a ‘very dangerous threat’
The same survey found that respondents still considered Covid-19 as a “very dangerous” threat.
Thus, they believed that they should continue observing the Covid-19 health safety protocols imposed by the government despite the easing of nationwide community quarantine.
Respondents said they were willing to keep practicing the frequent use of alcohol or sanitizers (99.172 percent), frequent hand washing (99.021 percent), physical distancing (97.59 percent), and use of face masks and shields in public spaces (96.988 percent).
They also agreed to limit physical contact (96.084 percent), the time spent in malls and grocery stores (92.395 percent), the time spent in restaurants (92.319 percent), and face-to-face meetings (89.533 percent) amid the pandemic.
During the holiday season, respondents also opted to simplify gatherings with the family (63.47 percent), cancel Christmas parties with friends (62.2 percent), cancel Christmas reunions with family (57.4 percent), reduce their budget for firecrackers (49.13 percent), reduce their budget for Christmas gifts (44.87 percent), and avoid going to church for Simbang Gabi (42.6 percent).
They also sought to reduce their budget for Noche Buena (38.73 percent), reduce their budget for the New Year’s Eve celebration (37.73 percent), and avoid going to church for Christmas Mass (63.53).