MANILA, Philippines—"It’s lonely at the top."

Thus said Malacañang Friday as the net satisfaction rating of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the second quarter Social Weather Stations survey among Filipinos from June 27 to June 30 plunged to a record low of negative 38 percent.

Arroyo's net rating fell to a new record-low for pesidents since 1986, surpassing her previous record of negative 33 in May 2005, but Malacañang insisted that she's still indispensable to the country.

"It's lonely at the top (but) where else shall the people look for relief but from the President and government?” said one of her deputy spokespersons, former Palayan, Nueva Ecija Mayor Lorelei Fajardo.

Also quick to defend the President, Secretary Cerge Remonde said in a text message that the President was only “paying the high price” for pushing for the enactment of the expanded value-added tax (eVAT) and other “very unpopular issues.”

“To whom much responsibility is given, much is required. It's never easy to be president of the Philippines," said Remonde, chief the Presidential Management Staff which is the workhorse of the Office of the President.

He said the survey “result is obvious” due to the problems confronting the country brought about by the global food and energy crisis.

Remonde admitted that although Arroyo was still “sensitive to public opinion, she took an oath that requires her to do what is right and not what is popular. It's very unfair (to) a very dedicated and hardworking president like Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”

But this is part of the “burden of leadership that all leaders in the world,” including US President George W. Bush, must carry, said Remonde.

In a series of text messages sent early in the day, Fajardo said the sagging popularity of Arroyo was caused by the global economic crunch.

“The dissatisfaction does not come as a surprise, as a country we are all suffering from the world economic downturn, factors beyond our control have seriously assaulted our economy and our way of life," she said.

The high price of fuel has tremendously affected the economy, but mitigated by the country's strong economic fundamentals in the past years, she said.

“We can only imagine how devastating the world fuel price crisis would have affected us. The sound economic and fiscal program of government has provided us with the necessary buoyancy that has so far kept us afloat in these rough seas.”

“Popularity is not what is important at this time, much as it is desired, it is not what this administration is after, but rather the President and her economic team would rather buckle down to the nitty gritty of seeking ways to help cushion the effects of the world economic situation and just see to the immediate and effective implementation of programs to benefit our people.”

“It maybe lonely at the top…but the President is committed to see us through these challenges,” she said.