Marcos’ net satisfaction rating rises in June – SWS

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.

MANILA, Philippines — Satisfaction with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s performance dipped in March but started recovering in June, based on a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

In a report dated August 1, SWS said Marcos’ net satisfaction rating was at +20 in March 2024 — down 27 points from the +47 score that he got in December 2023.

However, it bounced back up to +27 based on a survey conducted by SWS from June 23 to July 1.

The net satisfaction rate for June 2024 was the aggregate score obtained, as 55 percent of respondents interviewed said they were satisfied with Marcos’ performance, 28 percent were dissatisfied, and 15 percent were undecided.

“The national Social Weather Survey of June 23 – July 1, 2024, found 55% of adult Filipinos satisfied, 15% undecided, and 28% dissatisfied with the performance of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as President.  Compared to March 2024, gross satisfaction with President Marcos rose from 50%, gross undecided fell from 19%, and gross dissatisfaction fell slightly from 31%,” SWS said.

“The resulting net satisfaction rating is +27 (% satisfied minus % dissatisfied), classified by SWS as moderate (+10 to +29). This is a 7-point increase from the moderate +20 in March 2024, following a decline from the good +47 in December 2023,” it added.

Still, Marcos’ score for June 2024 was significantly lower compared to the +58 he got a year ago or in June 2023, and his highest-ever net satisfaction rating of +68 in December 2022.

Satisfaction among respondents was highest in Balance Luzon, with 60 percent saying they were okay with Marcos’ performance, followed by 57 percent in Metro Manila, 55 percent in Visayas, and 46 percent in Mindanao.

Dissatisfaction was highest in Mindanao at 41 percent, followed by Visayas at 28 percent, Metro Manila at 26 percent, and Balance Luzon at 28 percent.

Marcos’ rating was lower than that of his two predecessors during the same period.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, in his second year in office, got a +45 score in June 2018, whereas former president Benigno Aquino III got a +42 net satisfaction rating in May 2012.

The SWS said 9 percent of respondents said they expect Marcos to fulfill all or nearly all of his campaign promises; 17 percent said that many of the promises would be actualized; 48 percent said only some would be fulfilled; and 23 percent do not believe the President’s objectives will be attained.

Combined, the 27 percent who were optimistic — or those who believe Marcos can fulfill all, nearly all, or many of his promises — were up in June 2024, compared to just 22 percent in March.

“In past SWS surveys, the percentage of those who expected all or most of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s promises to be fulfilled were 19% (5% all or nearly all, 14% most) in September 2001 and 23% (8% all or nearly all, 15% most) in August 2004.  For Pres[ident] Benigno Simeon Aquino III, it was 44% (9% all or nearly all, 35% most) in September 2010 and 63% (22% all or nearly all, 41% most) in June 2016,” SWS said.

“For Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, it was 56% (15% all or nearly all, 41% most) in September 2016 before it ranged from 35%-67% from March 2017 to June 2022,” it added.

According to SWS, the survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 Filipino adults, subdivided into 600 from Balance Luzon, and 300 each from Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The SWS maintains a sampling error margin of ±2.5 percent for national percentages, ±4.0 percent for Balance Luzon, and ±5.7 percent each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao