Pulse Asia: GMA keeps high rating

President Arroyo still enjoys a high public approval rating despite popular perception of deteriorating living standards, the independent polling firm Pulse Asia Inc. reported yesterday.

The pollster’s national survey of 1,200 respondents for the first quarter, conducted March 22 to April 10, showed that Mrs. Arroyo’s 57 percent performance rating "remains virtually unchanged from its level in the last quarter of 2001," Pulse Asia said in a statement.

The President’s net approval rating for the period was 36 percent, down one point from her 37 percent rating in December last year.

In its latest survey, 57 percent expressed approval for Mrs. Arroyo’s performance while 21 disapproved of her performance. Twenty-two percent said they were undecided on the issue.

However, the survey also showed that Mrs. Arroyo was apparently losing the approval of the better-off class ABC (51 percent) but was winning over the not-so-poor class D (58 percent) and the poorest class E ( 56 percent).

On the other hand, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo continued to be distrusted by the Filipino public, with 39 percent saying they had no trust in him while only 21 percent said they did. But 39 percent remain undecided on whether or not to trust him.

Presidential performance ratings reflect significantly more support from Mindanao (66 percent) and the Visayas (61 percent) than Metro Manila (51 percent) or the rest of Luzon (52 percent), Pulse Asia said.

The survey also showed that among the 24 senators, the highest public approval went to Noli de Castro (74 percent), Loren Legarda (71 percent), Juan Flavier (70) and Edgardo Angara (66 percent).

The tail-enders were Tessie Aquino-Oreta (15 percent) and Robert Jaworski (13 percent).

Among Cabinet members, Education Secretary Raul Roco gained the highest approval rating of 69 percent followed by Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit (55 percent) and Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II (38 percent).

Forty-eight percent of respondents also believe the Arroyo administration has done everything it can to improve the life of the poor but 57 percent believe they are worse off now compared to a year ago.

Only nine percent believed they were better off and 34 percent said the situation is unchanged.

"Filipinos feel that their personal quality of life worsened rather than improved over the year, but are still optimistic that things will go better next year," the polling firm said.

Pulse Asia also warned Mrs. Arroyo to tread carefully on issues involving jailed former President Joseph Estrada, saying the poll results showed ambivalence toward the detained leader and a "cautious, wait and see" attitude on his ongoing trial for corruption.

"Official actions and statements that might be interpreted as provocative by (Estrada and his supporters) could trigger reactions that put at risk the public’s safety and the nation’s political stability," Pulse Asia chief Felipe Miranda said.

However, 34 percent of respondents agreed with statement that the Arroyo administration was "liberal and just" in dealing with former President Estrada. Only 27 percent disagreed with the statement but 38 percent are still undecided.

In terms of public trust, Estrada’s net trust rating of -1 appeared to be way behind the President’s 23 percent but his rating was an improvement from the -9 garnered in the last quarter of 2001 while the President’s rating was 10 points down from her 2001 rating of 33 percent.

Although Angara was only fourth among senators in terms of public approval, he is apparently the person the public trusts the most with a net trust rating of 48 percent.

Sixty percent said they had "big trust" in Angara while 12 percent said they had "no trust" in him at all but 28 percent said they are still undecided.