By means of Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio’s trust ratings in the second half of 2024 fell after their failure to address critical national issues, the latest Social Weather Stations survey shows (SWS).
The survey, conducted in collaboration with Stratbase Group, found that net confidence in President Marcos fell from +42 in July to +29 in December.
More than half of respondents, or 54%, said they have “a lot of confidence” in President Marcos, up from 64% in July. Those who were unsure about their confidence in the president rose from 17% in September and 14% in July to 19% in December, while those with “Low Confidence” remained unchanged at 25% from September.
Regionally, the president’s biggest decline occurred in Mindanao, where “High Confidence” respondents plummeted to 33% in December from 50% in July. Conversely, those with ‘Low Confidence’ increased from 33% to 42%.
Stratbase President Victor Andres C. Manhit noted that the survey results reflect the public’s call for the government to prioritize addressing pressing national issues, especially inflation and job creation.
“There is a need for the government to continuously implement strategic interventions and raise awareness of important government efforts aimed at addressing key socio-economic issues, especially among youth and highly educated groups,” he said in a statement on Monday.
“As inflation and livelihoods remain pressing issues, the government must focus on delivering clear and impactful solutions that resonate in the daily lives of Filipinos. For Filipinos, economic performance and good governance remain the most compelling evidence points for boosting public confidence.”
The survey also found that Vice President Duterte’s net trust rating suffered from +45 in July to +23 in December, which Mr. Manhit linked to her office’s unexplained spending of Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Education, which she previously headed.
Her refusal to answer questions about the use of CIF funds has “significantly eroded public confidence in her,” he added.
The share of respondents with “a lot of trust” in Mrs. Duterte fell to 52% from 65% in the same period, while those with “little trust” in her rose from 27% in September to 29% in December and 21% in September. July.
Those undecided rose to 17% this month from 16% in September and 13% in July.
The survey results showed that the sharp decline in Mrs. Duterte’s trust ratings was largely concentrated in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Balance Luzon.
In NCR, the percentage of respondents with ‘High Confidence’ dropped significantly from 62% in July to 41% in December. While those with ‘Little Trust’ rose by 13%, from 27% to 40% in December.
Similarly, in Balance Luzon, the number of respondents with “High Trust” in Mrs. Duterte fell by 22% in the past six months, while the number of respondents with “Low Trust” grew by 13%.
Despite these declines, Ms. Duterte’s overall confidence is negatively affected by a slower decline in trust in the Visayas and the continued loyalty of respondents from Mindanao.
In the Visayas, the percentage of respondents with “High Confidence” fell from 61% to 57% in the past six months, while among respondents in Mindanao it rose from 82% to 83% in July.
Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at Ateneo de Manila University, said the decline in the number of top officials may not yet reflect the public’s leadership preferences.
“We are still very clientelistic, especially when you approach it locally, and Marcos Jr. is likely to survive further weathering if his government can meet basic needs, effectively reverse policy disappointments and remain consistent in its foreign policy,” he said. Business world in a Facebook Messenger chat.
“Like it or not, Vice President Sara has lost the story against her, not helped by the sheer stubbornness and illiteracy of her camp, which is a shock considering how her father managed to has exploited to the utmost.”
The survey, conducted from December 12 to 18, included in-person interviews with 2,160 respondents and has a margin of error of ±2%.