President Aquino admin gets ‘good’ rating–SWS

President Benigno Aquino III’s administration got a “good” net satisfaction rating at the end of its first year, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Net satisfaction with the general performance of the Aquino administration was +45 (“good”), with 62 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied and 19 percent ambivalent, according to SWS.

The Second Quarter 2011 Social Weather Report, conducted from June 3 to June 6 and published in BusinessWorld, also found that the administration scored “good” net ratings in almost all specific issues, including disaster preparedness, helping the poor, foreign relations, promoting the welfare of Filipino overseas workers, and fighting terrorism.

However, it failed on one issue—the Maguindanao massacre case—where it posted a “poor” rating.

Tables from the SWS showed the Aquino administration’s +45 rating in June, while lower than the +64 rating it posted in September and November last year, was still higher than net satisfaction ratings posted by other administrations since 1989.

SWS considers net satisfaction ratings of +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”;
-70 and below, “execrable.”

The administration scored a satisfaction rating of +46 in March.

Across areas, the administration’s satisfaction rating increased by 10 percentage points in Mindanao, from +47 in March to +57 in June. Its scores, however, dipped in other areas: From +50 in March to +48 in Metro Manila; from +51 to +47 in the Visayas; and from +42 to +37 in Luzon outside Metro Manila.

Across socioeconomic classes, the administration’s net satisfaction scores increased among members of class ABC, from +19 in March to +45 in June, as well as among the “masa” class D, from +46 to +48. It however went down by 14 points among the poorest class E from +50 in March to +36.

In terms of specific issues, SWS tables showed the administration posted improvements in promoting the welfare of OFWs abroad (from a “moderate” +26 in December 2009 to a “good” +41 in June) and in prosecuting tax evaders (from a “poor” -11 in May 2005 to a “moderate” +22 in June.)

It scored a “good” rating in the following: Being prepared for strong typhoons (+46), helping the poor (+44), foreign relations (+43), and fighting terrorism (+30).

A “moderate” rating was posted in the following: Implementing housing programs for the poor (+27), reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+25), reconciliation with communist rebels (+23), fighting crime (+23), deciding quickly on important problems (+22), suppressing private armies in Mindanao (+17), and eradicating graft and corruption (+16).

“Neutral” scores were shown in issues involving fighting inflation (+4), ensuring that no family would go hungry (+4), and ensuring that oil firms don’t take advantage of oil price hikes (zero).

The administration posted a “poor” rating of -16 on the issue of resolving the Maguindanao massacre case with justice. Kate Pedroso, Inquirer Research