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First Quarter Satisfaction Ratings Of BBM, Sara, Migz Remain High Despite Slight Drop In Numbers
The performance ratings of Pres. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and the other top officials of the country remained on the high side despite a slight drop in the numbers as indicated in the first quarter PULSO NG PILIPINO survey that was conducted from April 11 to 18, 2023 with some 1,200 respondents nationwide.
Of those asked whether they are satisfied with the performance of President Marcos Jr., some 80% of the 1,200 respondents said they are satisfied with the governance of BBM while a minuscule 8% said they are dissatisfied for a net performance rating of +72%. While this maybe a six points drop from the year ender rating of the President which stood at +78% net at the end of 2022, the first quarter rating still falls under the “excellent” category.
BBM’s satisfaction ratings cut across the board through all the socio-economic classes registering 79% among the ABC groups, 80% among Class D and was the choice of 82% from Class E. The President scored the highest performance rating in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, with 85% and 84%, respectively, and posting a low 71% in the NCR region.
Similarly, Vice President Inday Sara Z. Duterte Carpio registered a similar +72% on the basis of the 79% out of the 1,200 respondents who said they are satisfied with the performance of the Vice President as against the only 7% who said they are not satisfied with her performance. The Vice President posted high percentages in Mindanao with 90% and, Visayas at 89%. Duterte-Carpio is also highly favored by those in E and D, groups with 80% and 79%, respectively.
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri continues to ride

high on the overall performance of the Senate as he scored a net satisfaction rating of +66% on account of the 76% of the respondents who were satisfied with his performance as Senate President as against only 10% who said they are not satisfied. Migz is also the choice of those in the ABC groups with 71%, 66% and 69% in the D and E groups, respectively, as he also posted high numbers in Mindanao at 89% and, Visayas at 87%.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez registered a respectable satisfaction rating of 70% while some 13% said they are dissatisfied with his performance of a net satisfaction rating of +57% which is high compared to the performance ratings of the previous leaders of the Lower House.
Zubiri Tows Senate To Unprecedented High Satisfaction Rating
Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri tows the rest of the Senate in posting positive figures in the latest PULSO ng PILIPINO survey conducted nationwide by The CENTER on April 11 to 18, 2023 with some 1,200 respondents who were all registered voters.
When asked how they rate their Senators, 66% of the respondents placed ZUBIRI as the top performing Senator. He is followed by Raffy TULFO who is the choice of 65%. Francis ‘Tol’ TOLENTINO who chairs the contentious Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is at 63%. He is followed closely by Go, Bong Go at 62% whose Malasakit program has been generating a lot of traction in recent months.
Maria Imelda ‘Imee’ MARCOS is in fifth with 62% while Loren LEGARDA posted 58%. Alan Peter CAYETANO scored 54% and is followed closely by Risa HONTIVEROS at 51%.

Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ DELA ROSA who is leading the investigation into the Degamo assassination is in 9th place with 51%, while Pilar Juliana ‘Pia’ CAYETANO and Sherwin GATCHALIAN are in 10th and 11th place, respectively, with identical 48% to their names.



Sen. Imee MARCOS Sen. Bato dela ROSA Sen. Francis Tol TOLENTINO
Sen. Grace POE LLAMANZARES is at 12th place with 44% with Robin PADILLA who is pushing for a change in the political system from Democratic Presidential to Federal Form of Government registered 42%. JV EJERCITO is at 14th place with 38% and he is followed by Mark VILLAR who gained fame with his Build Build Build slogan has a 35% rating.
Francis ESCUDERO who is less active in this 19th Congress compared to his past performance in the Senate has a 31% rating which is similar to the 31% rating given to Sen. Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA. Jinggoy ESTRADA has 30% to his credit while Bong REVILLA JR. has 28% the same rating given to Senators Cynthia VILLAR, Aquilino Koko PIMENTEL and Manuel ‘Lito’ LAPID.
Senators Nancy BINAY and Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ ANGARA bring up the rear with 25% and 22%, respectively.
Majority Of Pinoys Back EDCA,
New US Bases In The Country
The PULSO NG PILIPINO survey for the period in review also showed an overwhelming approval of the decision of the Marcos Administration to expand the existing Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA from the existing four sites to nine that is scattered in strategic places in the country.Camilo Osias Naval Base in Sta. in Cagayan, Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan, Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela, and Balabac Island Palawan.

These new EDCA sites will be in addition to the existing ones located at the Cesar Basa Airbase in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base, Antonio Bautista Air Base and Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base.
EDCA is one of the mechanisms designed to bolster the alliance between the US and the Philippines under the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty.
In the same PULSO NG PILIPINO survey, the respondents were asked what they feel about the government’s decision to expand the EDCA and designating an additional four sites on top of the five existing EDCA sites. Some 76% of the respondents said they support the Marcos Administration in its decision to expand the EDCA sites. Those who are against the move totaled 15% while 9% did not give any response.
As a follow through question, the respondents were likewise asked if they are in favor of including in the proposed charter either an amendment of Article XVII, Section 25 that would allow the establishment of foreign military bases in the country and or through a national referendum as allowed by law.
Of the 1,200 respondents, a total of 77% said they are in favor of amending the Charter that would allow the US to reestablish its military bases in the country. 11% said they are not favor of such a move while 12% said they are unsure.
Notwithstanding Inflation Rate, Pinoys
Believe Life Much Better Now Than 2022
A self-rated indicator was also included in the survey in which the respondents were asked to react on four basic issues that prevail in the country amidst the unsteady inflation rate level that has affected the socio-economic, majority of the respondents still believe that life is better at the start of this year as compared to 2022.
When asked whether life is better this year compared to 2022, 63% said that life is better at the start of 2023 while 26% said it is harder this year. When pursued as to how life is harder this year, some 47% said that life is twice as hard this year than last year and 33% said it is thrice harder this year while 20% said it is four times more difficult this year than last year.
But when those who said life is better this year, only 15% said they are in favor of any move to raise new taxes. 79% said they are not in favor of any new taxes the government may be planning.
The respondents were also asked by The CENTER as to their perception of the peace and order in their respective areas and 71% said that the condition in their locality is generally peaceful, while 22% said that it is slightly peaceful and 7% claimed it is messy in their locality.
Health, High Prices Of Basic Goods, Livelihood (Jobs), Peace And Order, Education Are Top Concerns
That Need To Be Addressed
The PULSO ng PILIPINO survey also showed that the Administration and even the Legislature are facing tough times ahead as the public in general have a lot of expectations with regards the delivery of basic services. At least five major concerns emerged on top of the priority bucket that the public wants to be addressed not only by the administration but even by the legislature.
The CENTER showed to the respondents a list of the 11 Minimum Basic Needs and were asked to choose from among the list which of these need to be prioritized by the government and the legislature in particular. When the respondents were asked to rate which of these major socio-economic concerns need to be addressed in the order of their importance, 91% said they want to see an expansion in the delivery of health services to include coverage for serious, chronic and terminal illnesses.
Another 86% regard as crippling the unabated rise in the cost of basic commodities and blaming the government of its inaction to stem the continuing increase in the prices of basic goods including the primary staple foods.
Some 85% want to see an improvement in the quality of education in the Philippines. In a recent report of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Philippines was ranked as one of the lowest in the field of mathematics, science and reading comprehension among 79 participating countries.
Seventy-nine (79%) per cent have expressed alarm at the level of corruption within the national police force and would want to see the enactment of reforms in the police force as well as in the justice system with reports of case-fixing in the lower courts specifically the regional trial courts.
A total of 76% of the 1,200 respondents want to see the government sponsor more livelihood programs that would create job opportunities especially for the marginalized to include a program that will transform the Filipino household into entrepreneurial units.
Tulfo, Lapid, Bong Go, Tolentino, Cayetano Siblings, Zubiri Top Mind Recall Portion Of Survey;
But Results Are Alarming As Majority Of The Respondents Are Unaware Of The Legislative Work Of The Senators
The CENTER also included in its survey what it calls the Top of the Mind examination to determine how well the people know the 24 incumbent Senators. Normally, Senators or any other elected official of the land are remembered for the things they have done while they are in office. These may be pieces of landmark legislation and or their participation in historical events
or words and slogans that are synonymous with the 24 Senators.
For this survey, The CENTER asked the respondents what is the first thing that comes to their minds when they are shown the names of the 24 incumbent Senators. To assist the respondents, they were reminded of the time in 1992 when the late President Fidel V. Ramos coined the word “ED SA 92”. In previous political campaigns, former Sen. Mar Roxas was referred to or called as “MR. PALENGKE.” Former Pres. Joseph Estrada was known as “ERAP PARA SA MAHIRAP.”
The question that was asked was “what is the first thing that you can recall about the names on the list?” The respondents were shown a showcard containing the names of the 24 incumbent Senators and these were their responses: Sen. Raffy TULFO was identified by 93% of the respondents through his public assistance program – RAFFY TULFO in ACTION. In second was Lito LAPID whom 91% of the respondents identified as “PINUNO” which was the role he played in the long-running Ang Probinsiyano TV series.


Bong GO is remembered for his MAY MALASAKIT program that provides health assistance to indigents and this is what 82% of the respondents recall. Francis ‘Tol’ TOLENTINO rode on the recognition he developed in his work in the high profile Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as 80% of the respondents referred to him as MR. BLUE RIBBON.
The Cayetano siblings – Alan Peter and Pilar Juliana (Pia) – gained a lot of following with their latest Public Affairs TV program with 72% of the respondents refer to them as CAYETANO in ACTION with BOY ABUNDA.
Some 72% of the respondents remember Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ ZUBIRI as either SENATE PRESIDENT, SPICE BOYS and or Biofuels Advocate. Bong REVILLA was named as AGIMAT by 69% of the respondents. Joel VILLANUEVA was named as TESDAMAN by 65% of the respondents while JV EJERCITO is remembered through his nom de guerre in the last election THE GOOD ONE which stuck in the minds of the 52% of the respondents.
Forty none (49) per cent recall Mark VILLAR as BUILD, BUILD, BUILD which was the slogan he coined during his tenure as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Chiz ESCUDERO was referred to by 42% as ASAWA NI HEART EVANGELISTA in an apparent reference to his wife the celebrity and artist.
Jinggoy ESTRADA was called as ANAK NG MASA by 39% of the respondents while Grace POE was called by 32% as ANAK NI FPJ. Thirty (30) per cent knew Imee MARCOS for the movie she produced MAID IN MALACANANG and Robin PADILLA is referred to by 27% as PEDERALISMO which is the charter change proposal he is pushing in the Senate.
In the minds of 22% of the respondents, Loren LEGARDA is CLIMATE CHANGE in apparent reference to her advocacy to climate change to save the planet. Risa HONTIVEROS is known as AKBAYAN by 19% of the respondents 15% of whom referred to Bato DELA ROSA as HENERAL. The other results of this particular survey were Nancy BINAY as ANAK NI JOJO BINAY (12%), Sonny ANGARA as BALER (9%), Koko PIMENTEL as PDP-LABAN (7%), Cynthia VILLAR as SIPAG (7%) and bringing up the rear is Sherwin GATCHALIAN who is remembered by 6% of the respondents as TUITION FREE and VALENZUELA MAYOR.
The results of this Mind Recall survey, however, send an alarming signal of the seeming unfamiliarity and unawareness by the public on the workings of the Senate. Except for Zubiri, Go, Tolentino, Padilla, Legarda and Gatchalian, the huge majority of the respondents are apparently oblivious to the performance of their elected leaders. This shows that majority of the people have no knowledge of what is happening in the halls of the Senate where laws are crafted.
The CENTER said that unlike in the United States and other progressive democracies such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, etc. the people in these countries are personally involved in their political system. It is indeed disheartening that majority of those polled do not have a concept of the laws, advocacies and, public service records of these elected leaders.
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