Aquino seen as pro-middle class

President Benigno Aquino III: Pro-middle class. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—About one in two Filipinos (49 percent) perceive President Benigno Aquino to be serving the interests of the middle class, according to recent survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey, conducted from March 27 to March 30, also showed that 44 percent see Aquino as serving the interests of the rich, while 40 percent said he served the poor.

The survey asked respondents: “Do you think President Aquino is serving the interests of the rich, the middle class or the poor?” They were allowed multiple responses.

“The proportion of those who said President Aquino is serving the interests of the poor fell by 11 points from 51 percent in September 2013 to 40 percent in March 2014,” the SWS said in a statement.

Compared to the previous quarter, the proportion of those who said the President serves the rich rose from 38 percent to 44 percent.

The percentage of those who perceive the President as serving the interests of the rich has steadily risen through the years—it was 23 percent in September 2010, 27 percent in March 2012 and 40 percent in March 2013.

Meanwhile, the proportion of those who said the President served the middle class went from 52 percent in September last year to 49 percent in March. It was at 55 percent in September 2010, 52 percent in March 2012 and 58 percent in March 2013.

The sentiment that the President served the interests of the middle class was the dominant response in Mindanao and the Visayas.

In Mindanao, more than half (53 percent) of respondents said the President served the interests of the middle class, while 43 percent said he served the poor and 41 percent the rich.

In the Visayas, 52 percent said he served the middle class, while 41 percent said he served the poor and 39 percent said he served the rich.

In Metro Manila, nearly the same proportion said he served the middle class (51 percent) and the rich (50 percent), while only 34 percent said he served the poor.

In Luzon outside Metro Manila, the most common answer was that the President served the interests of the rich (47 percent), while 44 percent said he served the middle class and 40 percent said he served the poor.

Net satisfaction with the President’s performance was higher at plus-60 (75 percent satisfied, 15 percent dissatisfied) among those who perceived him as serving the interests of the poor.

It was at plus-58 (72 percent satisfied, 15 percent dissatisfied, correctly rounded) among those who said he served the middle class, and at plus-28 (57 satisfied, 30 percent dissatisfied, correctly rounded) among those who perceived the President as serving the interests of the rich.

The SWS first implemented the question in February 2001, and found 47 percent saying then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo served the interests of the poor. It was at 48 percent in March 2001 before it fell to 35 percent in July 2001, 37 percent in September 2001, 38 percent in June 2002, 25 percent in September 2003, and 19 percent in September 2007.

Those who said Arroyo served the interests of the middle class was at 43 percent in February 2001, 44 percent in March 2001, 49 percent in July 2001, 42 percent in September 2001, 41 percent in June 2002, 33 percent in September 2003, and 31 percent in September 2007.

On the other hand, those who said President Arroyo served the interest of the rich was at 39 percent in February 2001 and 38 percent in March 2001, before spiking to 52 percent in July 2001. It was at 51 percent in September 2001, 58 percent in June 2002, 65 percent in September 2003 and 59 percent in September 2007.

The latest survey, conducted from March 27 to March 30, used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult respondents and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.