80% of Filipinos ‘approve’ of gov’t’s COVID-19 response — OCTA survey

(FILE) This foreboding sign for many residents of packed Metro Manila communities will be a familiar sight again as the metropolis goes on enhanced community quarantine or ECQ from August 6-20, 2021. FILE PHOTO/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Around 80 percent or four out of five Filipinos “approve” of the national government’s response against the COVID-19 pandemic, results of a survey conducted by the OCTA Research group showed Saturday.

OCTA’s latest Tugon ng Masa survey was conducted from July 12 to 18, with a sample size of 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above.

According to OCTA, 30 percent of respondents surveyed nationwide “truly approve” of the national government’s COVID-19 response while 50 percent “somewhat approve” of it.

Meanwhile, 13 percent of the respondents were undecided, 6 percent “somewhat disapprove” while one percent “truly disapprove” of the national government’s action.

Adult respondents in Metro Manila registered the highest approval rating at 87 percent, followed by Mindanao with an 84 percent approval rating.

The approval rating of adult Filipinos in Balanced Luzon and the Visayas is at 83 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

However, the Visayas recorded the highest disapproval of the government’s COVID-19 response at 12 percent.

OCTA researchers, however, clarified that the survey was conducted before COVID-19 cases surged in Metro Manila and in other parts of the country.

The country on Saturday saw an all-time high of 19,441 new COVID-19 cases, which brought the caseload to 1,935,700.

/MUF