Pulse Asia's October 2009 Nationwide Survey on Presidential Performance and Trust Ratings and Performance Ratings of Other Top National Government Officials

Pulse Asia is pleased to share with you some findings on Presidential Performance and Trust Ratings and Performance Ratings of Other Top National Government Officials from the October 2009 Ulat ng Bayan national survey. We request you to assist us in informing the public by disseminating this information.

The survey fieldwork was conducted from October 22 to 30, 2009 using face-to-face interviews. Immediately prior to and during the conduct of the interviews for this survey, the following developments dominated the news headlines: (1) the formal declaration of former President Joseph Estrada of his bid for the presidency in 2010 and questions raised regarding the legality of this bid; (2) Senator Loren Legarda’s declaration of her plans for the May 2010 elections and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno’s withdrawal from the vice-presidential race;; (3) Senator Francis G. Escudero’s departure from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC); (4) the continuing search for a running mate by both Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro, Jr. and Senator Manuel B. Villar, Jr.; (4) the long lines of late registrants catching the last days of registration for the May 2010 elections; (5) the resignation of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr.; (6) continuing relief efforts in the aftermath of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, as well as the arrival of two new storms; and (7) the freeze on oil prices and other energy products, as well as basic commodities, imposed by the government.

Based on a multistage probability sample of 1,800 representative adults 18 years old and above, Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a +/- 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level.  Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following error margins at 95% confidence level:  +/- 6% for Metro Manila,  +/-4% for the rest of Luzon and +/-5% for each of Visayas and Mindanao. Face-to-face field interviews for this project were conducted from October 22 to 30, 2009.  (Those interested in further technical details concerning the surveys’ questionnaires and sampling design may request Pulse Asia in writing for fuller details, including copies of the pre-tested questions actually used.)  

Pulse Asia’s pool of academic fellows takes full responsibility for the design and conduct of the survey, as well as for analyses it makes based on the survey data. In keeping with our academic nature, no religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes.  Pulse Asia undertakes Ulat ng Bayan surveys on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort.

For any clarification or questions, kindly contact Prof. Ronald D. Holmes, Pulse Asia President at 09189335497 / 9945602 or Dr. Ana Maria Tabunda, Pulse Asia Chief Research Fellow at 09189436816.

PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE AND TRUST RATINGS: Public disapproval and distrust are the predominant sentiments toward President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in October 2009

Filipinos critical of presidential performance and who distrust President Arroyo continue to greatly outnumber those with a positive opinion about the President’s work and her trustworthiness (51% and 52% versus 19% and 21%). On the other hand, nearly three in ten Filipinos are ambivalent as regards the performance of President Arroyo (27%) and cannot say if they trust or distrust her (29%). The President’s overall approval and trust ratings are practically unchanged between August and October 2009. However, presidential disapproval and distrust ratings increase (+8 and +10 percentage points, respectively) as public ambivalence regarding President Arroyo’s performance and trustworthiness becomes less pronounced during this period (-7 and -8 percentage points, respectively). (See Tables 1, 2 and 3).

Presently, President Arroyo registers majority disapproval ratings in the rest of Luzon (52%), Classes ABC and D (52% to 58%), and Metro Manila (61%). Those in Mindanao (44%) and Class E (47%) are least inclined to disapprove of presidential performance. Meanwhile, majority distrust ratings may be noted in almost all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings (52% to 64%), with the exception of Mindanao (43%) and Class E (48%). Between August and October 2009, the President’s disapproval and distrust ratings increase in the rest of Luzon (+12  percentage points) and the Visayas (+17 percentage points), as well as in Class ABC (+15 to +18 percentage points) and Class D (+9 to +10 percentage points). (See Tables 2 and 3).

Public indecision toward the work done by the President in the past quarter is most pronounced in Mindanao and least manifest in Metro Manila and Class ABC (32% versus 23%). Mindanaoans are more ambivalent on the matter of trusting or distrusting President Arroyo while indecision is lowest in Class ABC (33% versus 24%). While indecision levels concerning presidential performance decline between August and October 2009 in Classes ABC and D and the rest of Luzon (-7 to -14 percentage points), levels of public ambivalence as regards President Arroyo’s trustworthiness decrease in all socio-economic groupings, the rest of Luzon, and Mindanao (-7 to -14 percentage points). (See Tables 2 and 3).

Filipinos belonging to Class E are relatively more appreciative of presidential performance and also trust President Arroyo the most (24% versus 25%). In contrast, Metro Manilans are least inclined to approve of the President’s work (15%) and they give her a single-digit trust rating (9%). During the period August to October 2009, President Arroyo enjoys gains in her approval and trust ratings in Mindanao (+7 to +8 percentage points) but approval and trust levels decline in the Visayas (-13 percentage points). (See Tables 2 and 3).

PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF THE FOUR OTHER TOP NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: None of the country’s other top national government succeed in scoring a majority approval rating.

Among the country’s remaining top national government officials, Vice-President Noli de Castro continues to score the highest overall approval rating but this time around, he fails to get the nod of majority of Filipinos, earning no more than  a big plurality approval rating (43%) in the current survey.  This approval rating is significantly lower (12 percentage points) than what he obtained  in August 2009.  Moreover, there is an 11 percentage point increase (from 16% to 27%) in Vice President De Castro's disapproval rating. (See Tables 4 and 5).

The same percentage of Filipinos approve of (36%) or are undecided (37%) about the performance of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. These figures are slightly lower than the approval or indecision levels registered in the August 2009 Ulat ng Bayan survey.   On the other hand, disapproval of the Senate President's performance moves up by  five (5) percentage points since August 2009.

House of Representative Speaker Prospero C. Nograles obtains an approval rating similar to that of President Arroyo (21%), with larger pluralities (39% and 36%) undecided or disapproving of his performance. While there is a marked decline in the proportions of those undecided (from 46% in August 2009 to 36% in October 2009) about the House Speaker's performance, there is a significant increase (9 percentage points, from 30% in August 2009 to 39% in the October 2009 UB) in disapproval for the House Speaker.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno gets the same percentages of approval (36%) or undecided (37%) ratings.  His approval rating across the last two surveys remains virtually unchanged, while indecision towards his performance declines (6 percentage points).  However, the Chief Justice's disapproval rating moves up by five (5) percentage points (from 20% to 25%).