PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte’s overall satisfaction rating dropped in the third quarter this year, but remains at a “very good” level of +65, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released Wednesday.

In its Third Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey, SWS reported that 78% of Filipinos are satisfied with the President’s performance while 13% are dissatisfied and 9% undecided.

Mr. Duterte’s net satisfaction rating of +65 — representing the percentage satisfied minus those dissatisfied — was lower than his +68 score in June 2019.

SWS’ Net Satisfaction Ratings are classified as: +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; -70 and below, “execrable.”

Mr. Duterte’s rating soared for Class ABC at +70 (79% satisfied, 9% dissatisfied) in September, up by 12 points from +58 (76% satisfied, 18% dissatisfied) in June.

SWS said the rating “also stayed very good in class D or the masa, at +66 (79% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied) in September, although down by 2 points from the personal record-high +68 (79% satisfied, 11% dissatisfied) in June.”

For Class E, the rating was “very good” at +57 (73% satisfied, 16% dissatisfied) in September 2019, but lower by 11 points from +68 (81% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied) in June.

The rating drop was reflected in both urban and rural areas.

Rural net satisfaction was at +64 in September, lower by 4 points from +68 in June, while urban net satisfaction was +66, down by 1 point from +67.

Satisfaction also decreased in Mindanao, Mr. Duterte’s home turf, though still at an excellent level at +76 (85% satisfied, 9% dissatisfied) from +81 (88% satisfied, 8% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) in June.

The net satisfaction rating among Filipinos in Luzon, excluding Metro Manila, was also lower at +54 (71% satisfied, 17% dissatisfied), down by 11 points from +65 (78% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied).

INSIGNIFICANT
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo, reacting to the latest SWS survey, said the Palace welcomes the results and they see the slight decrease in ratings as “insignificant.”

“(T)he President would simply shrug off his survey numbers, saying he is not interested in any popularity contest relative to his governance because with or without a soaring satisfaction rating, he is unaffected and will just continue to do his constitutional task of serving and protecting the people even at the loss of his life, liberty and honour,” Mr. Panelo said in a statement on Wednesday.

The non-commissioned survey was conducted on 1,800 adults nationwide last September 27–30 this year and has an error margin of ±2.3% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon and Mindanao; and ±6% for Metro Manila and the Visayas. — Gillian M. Cortez

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR