DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 13 April) — The country’s first Mindanawon President continues to receive “excellent” net satisfaction rating in Mindanao, got “very good” in Visayas and Metro Manila” and “good” in the balance of Luzon, but nationwide, his rating dropped two points from +58 in the last quarter of 2017 to +56 in the first quarter of 2018, the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey said.
The March 23 to 27 survey found 70% of adult Filipinos nationwide satisfied with President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance, 14% dissatisfied and 17% undecided, giving him a net satisfaction rating of +56.
In the last quarter of 2017, Duterte received +58 (71% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied, 15% undecided).
Courtesy of Social Weather Stations
The SWS terminology for net satisfaction ratings is “excellent” for +70 and above; “very good for +50 to +69; “good” for +30 to +49.
The SWS said the two-point drop in President Duterte’s net satisfaction rating was due to the decline of 11 points in the Balance of Luzon and one point in Metro Manila, combined with increases of 12 points in the Visayas and 2 points in Mindanao.
Duterte’s satisfaction ratings in March 2018 reflects a similar trend in pre-election SWS surveys and net satisfaction ratings with Mindanao giving him the highest percentage points followed by Visayas, Metro Manila and the balance of Luzon at the bottom.
Duterte received an “excellent” rating at +82 (87% satisfied, 5% dissatisfied) in March 2018, up by two points, from +80 (84% satisfied, 5% dissatisfied) in December 2017.
Mindanao has consistently given Duterte the highest ratings nationwide since he assumed the post of President on June 30, 2016.
Dissatisfaction in the balance of Luzon, however, is growing, from 14% in December 2017 to 19% in March 2018. From “very good” in December 2017 to “good” in March 2018, his satisfaction rating dropped 11 points, from +50 (64% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) in December 2017 to +39 (58% satisfied, 19% dissatisfied) in March 2018.
Satisfaction with Duterte’s performance was “very good” in Metro Manila, from +54 (72% satisfied, 18% dissatisfied) in March 2018, down one point from +55 (73% satisfied, 18% dissatisfied) in December 2017.
But more people in the Visayas were satisfied with the President’s performance — “very good” — up by 12 points at +65 (75% satisfied, 9% dissatisfied) in March 2018 compared with only +53 (72% satisfied, 18% dissatisfied) in December 2017.
“I do not care about how you rate me”
Duterte’s net satisfaction rating in the SWS surveys nationwide was +64 in September 2016, +63 in December 2016, +63 in March 2017, +66 in June 2017, +48 in September 2017, +58 in December 2017 and +56 in March 2018.
Courtesy of Social Weather Stations
In Mindanao, his net satisfaction rating has consistently been “excellent” — at +85 in September 2016, + 74 in December 2016, +87 in March 2017, + 75 in June 2017, +76 in September 2017, +80 in December 2017 and +82 in March 2018.
From its peak of +87 in March 2017, it plummeted 12 points to +75 in June, apparently in response to his placing Mindanao’s 27 provinces and 33 cities under martial law on May 23, 2017, but bounced back in the succeeding quarters.
In a statement Thursday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said they are grateful “for our people’s vote of confidence,” that net satisfaction in the President’s performance has “remained high notwi
thstanding matters and concerns the government is handling.”
He said this would “further inspire the President, along with the members of his Cabinet, to work double time in bringing the fruits of sustained and inclusive growth to the poorest and marginalized sectors while ensuring our communities remain safe and secure from drugs, crime and terrorism.”
Duterte told reporters upon arrival from his China-Hong Kong trip early Friday morning, that he does not care about his ratings.
“Whether you like it or not, well, tapos na ‘yung eleksyon para sa akin” (the election is over for me). I do not go for any percentage acceptability. It’s you who has to accept my performance because I promised it to the people.”
“I do not care about how you rate me,” he said. “That is not my job. My job is not to watch for these rates. My job is to implement what I promised. Ginagawa ko po ‘yang apat na ‘yan (I am doing all four). Simultaneous,” he said, referring to his election campaign promises to end corruption, stop illegal drugs, seek peace with the communist rebels and the Moro liberation fronts, and “I would not tinker or intervene in matters about governance, lalo na sa contracts, contracts.”
“Very Good” in urban and rural, classes A to D
More Filipinos from the rural areas are satisfied with Duterte’s performance in March 2018, with 2 points more from December 2017. In the urban areas, however, Duterte’s rating dropped by 7 points, the SWS survey said.
Overall, however, net satisfaction rating in the rural and urban areas was the same, at +56.
Courtesy of Social Weather Stations
The rural net satisfaction rating of the President remained “very good” at +56 (69% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied) in March 2018, up by 2 points from +54 (68% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) in December 2017.
“Urban net satisfaction also stayed ‘very good,’ at +56 (70% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) in March 2018, although down by 7 points from +63 (76% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied) in December 2017,” the SWS said.
The highest drop in net satisfaction rating in the first quarter of 2018 was among Class E, from “very good” to “good,” a 17 point drop from +65 (78% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied) in December 2017 to +48 (65% satisfied, 17% dissatisfied) in March 2018.
In Classes ABC, Duterte received “very good” rating, at +63 (72% satisfied, 9% dissatisfied) in March 2018, a three-point drop from +66 (80% satisfied, 14% dissatisfied) in December 2017.
Class D gave Duterte a “very good” rating, at +57 (70% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied) both in December 2017 and March 2018.
The March 2018 Social Weather Survey interviewed 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
