Amid lower rating, Duterte admin to work ‘double time’ vs inflation—Palace

Protesters shout slogans after splashing red paint at the logo of Shell, one of the three big oil companies in the country, to denounce a new round of oil price increase implemented this week, the eighth consecutive week it had increased so far, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 in suburban Makati city east of Manila, Philippines. The protesters assailed the oil companies for the apparent weekly increase of oil prices which allegedly triggers higher inflation rate and weaken the country’s economy. Also on Friday, the Government announced another jump of its inflation rate to 6.7-percent as compared to last month’s figure of 6.4-percent, one of the highest in years. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

The Malacañang on Sunday thanked the public who are still satisfied with the current administration despite the looming increase of prices of commodities.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy na nasisiyahan sa Administrasyong Duterte,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement, reacting to the latest Social Weather Stations’ survey.

(We are thanking our countrymen who are continuing to be satisfied with the Duterte administration.)

“As the survey shows, in what Social Weather Stations calls its Governance Report Card, of the 14 specific subjects rated, we received the lowest rating in fighting inflation. Nonetheless, public satisfaction remains ‘very good’ at +50 during the time when our people are feeling the hit of a faster inflation rate when the survey was conducted last September,” he added.

According to the survey, about 65 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with how the government run. Meanwhile, 19 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and 15 percent were said that they were dissatisfied.

READ: SWS: Satisfaction rating of Duterte administration drops to 65%

Roque also noted that despite the eight-point drop in the third quarter survey, he assured the public that the government is working “double time to ensure prices of basic goods become stable.”

Prices of the commodities continue to rise due to the continuous increase of the inflation rate.

The inflation rate of the country hit 6.7 percent in September, the highest recorded in nine years.

READ: Inflation hits new over 9-year high of 6.7% in September on elevated food prices

“May mga hakbang nang isinagawa ang pamahalaan, kasama na ang pag-angkat ng bigas at pagsibak ng mga ilang tauhan na may kinalaman sa pagkawala ng libo-libong sako ng bigas, para masolusyunan ang kakulungan ng suplay sa pamilihan na siyang nagpapataas ng presyo  ng mga bilihin,” Roque said.

(The government is taking steps to solve the shortage of goods which causes the hike in prices by importing rice and dismissing several individuals who are linked to the disappearance of the thousands of sacks of rice.)

Duterte nevertheless said that he was taking responsibility for the rise of inflation rate in the country. /je

READ: Duterte assumes responsibility as inflation hits 6.7%