SWS: Noy rating slightly drops

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino’s satisfaction rating slightly dropped in the first quarter of 2014, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its recent survey.

Aquino received a net satisfaction score of “good” 45 (66 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied) in the SWS poll, taken from March 27 to 30.

Results of the SWS latest poll were published in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday.

The President’s new rating was down by four points from 49 recorded in September (68 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied) and December (69 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied) last year.

The overall drop in Aquino’s rating was caused by a 13-point decline in balance Luzon where it fell to a “good” 41 (63 percent satisfied, 22 percent dissatisfied), the SWS said.

His rating also went down in the Visayas to a “good” 49 (70 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied), from “very good” 50 (70 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied) in December.

Meanwhile, Aquino’s net score improved in Metro Manila, rising by 11 points to a “good” 33 (59 percent satisfied, 26 percent dissatisfied) from 22 (53 percent satisfied, 31 percent dissatisfied).

His score remained “very good” in Mindanao at 55 (72 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied), up by two points from 53 (73 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied) from the previous quarter.

Aquino’s net satisfaction in rural areas was downgraded to a “good” 49 (68 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied) from December’s “very good” 58 (75 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied).

The SWS noted the President’s score was just two points above the record-low 47 in June 2011 for rural areas.

In urban areas, on the other hand, Aquino scored “good” at 41 (64 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied), down a point from the 42 (65 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) previously.

SWS said Aquino received “good” net scores across all socioeconomic classes, although drops were recorded among the ABC and E groups.

The satisfaction score among the ABC fell by 29 points to a “good” 39 (60 percent satisfied, 22 percent dissatisfied) in the first quarter from December’s “very good” 68 (80 percent satisfied, 12 percent dissatisfied).

It also plunged to “good” 44 (65 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) from “very good” 57 (72 percent satisfied, 15 percent satisfied) among the class E.

His net score stayed “good” at 45 among the class D or the masa (66 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied in March from 68 percent satisfied, 22 percent dissatisfied) in the fourth quarter of last year.

By gender, his rating among women declined by seven points to a “good” 43 (66 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied), from December’s 50 (70 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied).

Among men, his score remained “good” at 46 (66 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied), down a point from 47 (68 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied) in December 2013.

The SWS classifies net satisfaction scores of 70 and above as “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 SWS used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide and has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages.

Pulse Asia’s survey, which was released last week, also showed drops in Aquino’s approval and trust ratings in the first quarter of this year.

The Pulse Asia survey results showed that Aquino’s trust ratings dropped to 69 percent in March, from 74 percent in December 2013.

The President’s performance ratings also dipped to 70 percent in March from 73 percent in December 2013, the survey said.

Pulse Asia, however, said the declines were “not significant” as these were still within the poll’s margin of error.