Noy gets passing mark on 11 issues - Pulse Asia

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino scored passing grades on 11 selected, key national issues in a survey conducted by Pulse Asia.

The results of the survey, which was conducted from June 20 to July 4, showed that Aquino's received basically the same passing grades on selected national concerns as those he obtained after his first year in office.

The survey noted that Aquino obtained a "barely passing" mean grade of 75 on poverty reduction. He received the same score in a similar Pulse Asia survey in August 2011.

"On a scale of 0 to 100, with 75 as the passing grade, President Aquino's average or mean grades range from 75 (or "barely passing") on poverty reduction to 80 (or "good") on the management of the economy and delivery of basic services to Filipinos in need," the survey released on Thursday said.

Pulse Asia said Aquino obtained a median grade of 80 on all 11 issues which include:

• management of the economy - 80 or good (mean score)
• strengthening political institutions such as the electoral system and relations between branches of government - 79 (lowest pass)
• increasing peace in the country - 79 (lowest pass)
• ensuring the delivery of basic services such as health, education and low cost housing to Filipinos in need - 80 (good)
• enforcing the law on influential as well as ordinary people - 78 (lowest pass)
• reducing the poverty of many Filipinos - 75 (barely passing)
• strengthening the relations of the Philippines with other countries - 79 (lowest pass)
• fighting graft and corruption in government 78 (lowest pass)
• fighting criminality - 78 (lowest pass)
• stopping the destruction and abuse of our environment - 78 (lowest pass
• controlling fast population growth - 77 (lowest pass)

Pulse Asia said marginal changes in the President's performance grades occurred between August 2011 and June 2013.

"As regards his mean grades, President Aquino registers a 1-percentage point gain in his grade on the issue of economic management but experiences a 1-percentage point decline in his grade on the issue of equal law enforcement on all citizens," it said.

The President enjoys a five-percentage point improvement in his median grade on the issue of poverty reduction (from 75 to 80), it added.

The nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.