MANILA, Philippines ? Public satisfaction with the performance of President Macapagal-Arroyo?s administration reached an all-time low last December, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

Of the 2,100 adult Filipinos interviewed between Dec. 5 and Dec. 10, 28 percent said they were satisfied with the overall performance of the administration, while 51 percent said they were dissatisfied, for a ?poor? net rating (satisfied minus dissatisfied) of minus 23, a further dip in the rating the administration received in September (minus 20).

The noncommissioned survey had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

The Arroyo administration has been receiving negative net satisfaction ratings since December 2007 (when it rated a minus 11). Its rating improved in December 2008 (minus one), but went back to double-digit negative figures in the succeeding quarters.

SWS also asked respondents if they were satisfied with the administration?s performance on specific issues.

?Of the 14 issues tested, the performance of the national administration was very good on one issue, moderate on four issues, neutral on six issues, and poor on three issues,? SWS said in a statement released yesterday.

The Arroyo administration got a ?very good? net rating of plus 51 on helping victims of disasters.

It obtained moderate ratings on being prepared for natural calamities (plus 27), promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (plus 26, up seven points from last September?s plus 19), ensuring that medicines are affordable (plus 20, up two points), and helping the poor (plus 17, up seven points).

Ratings were neutral on fighting terrorism (plus four, up one point), campaigning against illegal drugs (minus three, down six points), reconciliation with Muslim rebels (minus four, down seven points), reconciliation with communist rebels (minus five, down eight points) fighting crime (minus nine, down one point) and fighting inflation (minus nine, up 10 points).

The Arroyo administration received poor ratings on ensuring there was no hunger (minus 15, down five points), suppressing politicians with private armies in Mindanao (minus 17), and eradicating graft and corruption (minus 27, up one point).

Survey respondents were also asked their opinion on the government?s response to the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao.

?[The survey] found mixed opinions on what the government had done up to that point to resolve the Maguindanao massacre case,? SWS said.

Forty-one percent were satisfied with the government?s response and 44 percent were dissatisfied, for a neutral net rating of minus two (difference due to rounding off).

Fifteen percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Cyril L. Bonabente