Marcos admin shines in disaster response, OFW protection; flunks in inflation control – Pulse

MANILA, Philippines —President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration rated high in protecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and responding to calamities but low in controlling inflation in a recent Pulse Asia survey.

In the survey sent on Tuesday, 76 percent of the respondents approved the administration’s actions towards OFWs, while 73 percent gave good scores to its response to calamity-affected areas.

Regarding the welfare of OFWs, 21 percent were undecided about the administration’s performance, while three percent gave disapproved marks for a net approval rating (NAR) of +73.

For calamity response, 23 percent were undecided, while three percent found the administration’s actions lacking, for a NAR of +70.

But in managing inflation or the rising prices of basic goods and commodities, only 31 percent were satisfied with the administration’s measures; 32 percent were undecided; and 37 percent disapproved of the government’s actions, for a NAR of -6.

According to respondents, managing inflation was also the top urgent concern, with 63 percent saying it is one of their top three issues the administration should have tackled.  It was also the only negative mark in Pulse Asia’s survey.

“Out of the 13 issues on which the national administration’s performance is assessed in June 2023, the latter scores ten majority approval ratings. Filipino adults are most appreciative of the administration’s work in the areas of protecting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (76%) and responding to the needs of calamity-hit areas (73%),” Pulse Asia said.

“And on the issue of controlling inflation, the only issue identified as an urgent national concern by most Filipino adults (63%), about the same percentages of the country’s adult population either disapprove of the administration’s performance (37%) or express indecision on the matter (32%),” it added.

Here are the other scores per issue as reported by Pulse Asia:

• Promoting peace in the country (67% approve, 26% undecided, 6% disapprove; +61 NAR)
• Fighting criminality (64% approve, 27% undecided, 9% disapprove; +55 NAR)
• Defending the integrity of Philippine territory against foreigners (63% approve, 29% undecided, 8% disapprove; +55 NAR)
• Providing assistance to farmers, including selling their products (59% approve, 34% undecided, 8% disapprove; +51 NAR)
• Stopping the destruction and abuse of our environment (61% approve, 27% undecided, 12% disapprove; +49 NAR)
• Enforcing the law on all, whether influential or ordinary people (56% approve, 32% undecided, 12% disapprove; +44 NAR)
• Creating more jobs (53% approve, 33% undecided, 14% disapprove; +39 NAR)
• Increasing the pay of workers (52% approve, 27% undecided, 21% disapprove; +31 NAR)
• Fighting graft and corruption in government (44% approve, 39% undecided, 17% disapprove; +27 NAR)
• Reducing the poverty of many Filipinos (43% approve, 34% undecided, 23% disapprove; +20 NAR)

Despite the low scores regarding inflation, Pulse Asia noted that there were changes in public opinion from March 2023 to June 2023 — the same time that headline inflation rates per month were decreasing steadily.

READ: PH inflation rate for May 2023 slows down further to 6.1%

“From March 2023 to June 2023, significant changes in public opinion regarding the national administration’s quarterly performance may be noted. Appreciation becomes more pronounced toward the latter’s efforts to control inflation (+6 percentage points), create more jobs (+8 percentage points), and increase the pay of workers (+8 percentage points),” Pulse Asia said.

READ: PH inflation further eased to 5.4% in June

“On the other hand, disapproval eases on the issues of job creation (-10 percentage points), poverty reduction (-10 percentage points), and inflation (-15 percentage points). Levels of indecision increase regarding the administration’s work in the areas of reducing poverty (+6 percentage points), fighting criminality (+8 percentage points), fighting corruption in government (+8 percentage points), and controlling inflation (+9 percentage points),” it added.

Pulse Asia said 1,200 respondents were surveyed using face-to-face interviews from June 19 to 23, 2023.  The polling firm maintains a ± 2.8% error margin at the 95% confidence level and a ± 5.7% error margin at the 95% confidence level for the locales, namely Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

READ: 50% of Filipinos approve of gov’t pandemic response — OCTA survey

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