Gov't working hard to fight inflation after administration rating dips - Palace
The Duterte administration is working double time in addressing high inflation after getting a low rating on the issue as shown in a survey, Malacanang said on Sunday.
Based on the latest Social Weather Stations survey, the administration got the lowest score on fighting inflation at “neutral” +8. The figure, however, was up by eight points from the -1 in June.
Inflation reached a fresh nine-year high of 6.7 percent in September.
SWS found an 8-point decrease from the very good +58 last June 2018 on the administration’s public satisfaction rating.
Though it declined, Malacanang thanked the public for the “very good” rating after 65 percent of Filipinos said they were still satisfied with the administration.
“As the survey shows, in what Social Weather Stations (SWS) 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,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
“Regardless of the numbers, we assure everyone that the administration is working double time to ensure prices of basic goods become stable as we cushion the impact of higher inflation,” he added.
The administration's rating declined to “very good” +67 from “excellent” +76 in Mindanao, “good” +48 from “very good” +54 in Balance Luzon, and “good” +42 from “very good” +56 in Visayas.
In Classes A, B, and C, the Duterte administration's net satisfaction rating dropped from "excellent" to "good" with +47, a decline of 34 points from June.
It also fell one grade from "very good" to "good" in Class E (+49) and stayed "very good" with +56 in Class D.
But the net satisfaction rating of the Duterte administration stayed “very good” in rural areas at +54 and remained “good” in urban areas at +45, although there were significant drops in the recent figure.
SWS also asked the respondents to rate the government's performance on several subjects and found a “moderate” rating on fighting hunger at +23.
It, however, received “very good” marks in fighting terrorism at +53, protecting human rights at +54, building and maintenance of public works at +66, helping the poor at +63, and reconstructing Marawi City at +58.
The administration garnered “good” ratings on reconciling with communist rebels at +42, defending the West Philippine Sea at +39, fighting crimes at +43, reconciling with Muslim rebels at +41, foreign relations at +40, fulfilling commitment in international treaties at +40 and eradicating graft and corruption at +38.
The September 2018 survey was conducted from September 15-23 using face-to-face interview with 1,200 adults with sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, ±4 percent for Balance Luzon, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. Ella Dionisio/DMS
