FILIPINOS STILL trust the United States (US) the most and China the least among four countries in a poll by Social Weather Stations (SWS) in December.
SWS, in its survey results released Wednesday evening, noted however that net trust rating towards China jumped one grade from “poor” to “neutral.”
In the survey conducted from Dec. 16 to 18, 2018, US reached a +60 or “very good” net trust rating among Filipinos, slightly higher than +59 recorded in the September 2018 survey.
Net trust in the US stayed very good throughout the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte since 2016.
For the two other countries, net trust rating for Japan rose by one grade to +34 or “good” in December from the +28 or “moderate” in September, while Australia received a net trust rating of +31 or “good,” down by five points from the +36 or “good” rating recorded in June.
SWS pointed out that Japan’s trust rating has been at the moderate to good levels during Mr. Duterte’s term, but reached as high as +54 or “very good” in December 2017.
The latest result for Australia was the lowest in over nine years since the moderate +19 rating in September 2009.
“Compared to when they were last surveyed, the December 2018 net trust ratings were one grade higher for Japan and China, while they stayed within the same grade for the United States and Australia,” the SWS said.
Net trust rating in China increased by 23 points to -7 or “neutral” in December from the -16 or “poor” in September.
SWS noted that China received positive trust rating only nine out of the 48 surveys of the polling firm since it first surveyed in August 1994. It reached its highest +17 or “moderate” grade in June 2010 and its lowest of -46 or “bad” in September 2015.
The SWS terminology for net trust ratings is as follows: +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.”
The survey was conducted from December 16 to 19, 2018, using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, with 360 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,.
Sampling error margins are at ±2.6% for national percentages and ±5% each for the four areas.
Respondents were asked, “Let’s now talk about some countries. For the following, please indicate if your trust/faith in (country) is Very much, Somewhat much, Undecided if much or little, Somewhat little, Very little, or You have not heard or read anything about the (country) ever?” — Camille A. Aguinaldo

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