Pulso ng Pilipino
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SATISFACTION RATINGS OF BBM, SARA IN 3RD QUARTER TUMBLE AMIDST UNABATED RISE IN ENERGY COSTS AND BASIC COMMODITIES,
BUT TRUST RATINGS STILL HIGH;
PERFORMANCE OF ZUBIRI, ROMUALDEZ, GESMUNDO GAIN STAMP OF APPROVAL FROM PINOYS
PULSO NG PILIPINO --- The satisfaction ratings of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio went tumbling down during the 3rd quarter of this year amidst the spiraling costs of petroleum products, unabated rise in the cost of prime commodities and the impact of other issues on governance.
In the non-commissioned PULSO ng PILIPINO of The Issues and Advocacy
Center (The CENTER) tracking survey that was extracted on Sept. 23 to 30, 2023,
President Bongbong MARCOS posted a net 58% satisfaction rating arising from 73%
of the 1,200 respondents who said they are satisfied with the performance of the
President as against the 12% who said they are not satisfied. This is an 11% dip from
the President’s net satisfaction rating of 69% in Pulso ng Pilipino’s 2nd quarter survey.
The satisfaction rating of Vice President Sara DUTERTE was even lower at a
net 54% out of the 71% who are satisfied with Duterte’s performance as against the
17% who are not satisfied with the way she dishes out her dual function as Vice
President and concurrently Secretary of the Department of Education. Another 12%
said they aren’t sure. This is a huge 14% drop from the Vice President’s 2nd quarter ratings of 68% in net satisfaction rating.
At the same time, the performance rating of Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ ZUBIRI rose slightly to 72% from the 70% in the second quarter with 80% saying they are satisfied with Zubiri’s performance as against only 8% who said they are not satisfied with 12% who are undecided.
Of the top five officials of the Philippines, the performance rating of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin ROMUALDEZ rose to net 60% from the 70% who said they are satisfied with the performance of the Speaker as against the 10% who are dissatisfied. This is a significant five per cent hike from the 55% net satisfaction rating of the House Chief in Pulso ng Pilipino’s 2nd quarter survey given the pressing issues the administration is currently facing. This is also the highest performance rating posted by an incumbent Speaker in the history of the Lower House.
Both ZUBIRI and ROMUALDEZ are credited for leading their respective chambers in support of the legislative agenda of the Administration.
Another positive note comes from the performance ratings of the country’s top five officials was that of Supreme Court Justice Alexander GESMUNDO whose rating rose from 41% in the 2nd quarter of the current year to 49% in the latest 3rd quarter tracking survey of Pulso ng Pilipino.
This non-commissioned Pulso ng Pilipino survey of The CENTER interviewed 1,200 registered voters nationwide with ages ranging from 18 years old to 65 years old and above coming from all socio-economic classes (ABC, D & E). The survey has a margin of error of + 3% and confidence level of in excess of 98%. The CENTER uses the traditional multi-stage probability sampling method and cross-screened by our trained listening posts for authenticity and accuracy.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE DROP IN THE SATISFACTION RATINGS AND, THE ISSUES HOUNDING THE GOV'T, FILIPINOS STILL TRUST BBM AND SARA
While the satisfaction ratings of the country’s top two officials may have suffered from a tailspin as shown in the results of the 3rd quarter PULSO ng PILIPINO tracking survey, the majority of the Filipino people still trust the tandem of President Ferdinand BONGBONG MARCOS JR. and Vice President Sara DUTERTE.
The survey taken during the 3rd quarter of the current year showed that 82% of those interviewed by The CENTER still trust President MARCOS with only 13% saying they distrust him leading to a net 69% trust rating which is still on the high side. Only five per cent claim they are not sure.
Vice President DUTERTE on the other hand posted a trust rating of 79% as against the
13% who distrust her for a net of 66% with only eight per cent saying they don’t know or are
not sure.
These trust ratings of the President and the Vice President are considered high conside-
ring that there have been many controversial issues during the time when the survey was con-
ducted from Sept. 23 to 30, 2023.
The CENTER said that while the government is struggling to deliver on its campaign
promise to bring down the retail price of rice to P20.00 per kilo, the survey respondents
claimed they remain hopeful this can be achieved at least before the term of the President
ends.
Of interest to the respondents is not so much in the retail price of rice but in the wild
fluctuation in the prices of petroleum products. Those interviewed by The CENTER especially
business owners said the rollercoaster movement in the prices of petroleum products prevent business establishments in planning ahead and this is what drives the prices of prime commodities to go up because fuel is a primary component in any business operation.
These sources believe that the government will have to intervene to put a cap in the prices of petroleum products so as to give business owner the opportunity to bring down the prices of their merchandise.
Ed Malay, director of The CENTER, said that during the time of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in the 80s, then Prime Minister Cesar Virata when asked why the National Food Authority was losing money answered: “The NFA is designed to lose money because it has to support the price mechanism for rice and corn.”
I was a Business Reporter at that time and I clearly remember that prices of prime commodities such as rice is kept at a ceiling that the people can afford through government subsidies.
It would be timely for the present Marcos Administration to revisit the policies of his father the late President Marcos and he should take it from there, Malay said.
TitoSEN, ERWIN TULFO LEADING PRE-POLL
SURVEY FOR THE 2025 SENATORIAL RACE;
REALIGNMENT OF FORCES TO PLAY
CRITICAL ROLE IN THE CAMPAIGN
PULSO NG PILIPINO --- If the scheduled 2025 local and national elections are to be held today, former Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III and former Social Welfare Secretary and broadcaster Erwin Tulfo are certain of getting elected to the Senate together with the seven incumbents who are seeking reelection and three others.
If the elections are held on the days the Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER) conducted its PULSO NG PILIPINO pre-poll survey from September 22 to 30, 2023 all the seven incumbent senators are assured of getting reelected with SOTTO and TULFO tied for the lead with a rating of 70 per cent and 68 per cent, respectively.
The cast of probable winners in the scheduled mid-term polls will certainly include Sen. GO BONG GO with 62% and is tied with Sen. IMEE MARCOS (62%) for the third to the fifth spot together with losing presidential candidate in 2022 Isko MORENO with 60%. In solo 6th place is Sen. BATO DE LA ROSA with 59%. Sharing the seventh to the ninth positions are Sen. Francis ‘TOL’ TOLENTINO (56%), former Sen. Panfilo ‘PING’ LACSON (54%) and Sen. Pia CAYETANO (53%).
In 10th to 12th places are Sen. BONG REVILLA JR. (52%), Sen. LITO LAPID (51%) and former Sen. MANNY PACQUIAO with a similar (51%). Within striking distance in 13th to 16th places are losing presidential candidate LENI ROBREDO (47%), former Sen. KIKO PANGILINAN (47%), Defense Secretary GIBO TEODORO (46%) and former Senate President Frank DRILON (46%).
Also on target is House Speaker MARTIN ROMUALDEZ (42%), former Sen. MAR ROXAS (39%), Rep. Ralph RECTO (29%), Sexologist Doc WILLIE ONG (34%), and in 21st to 24th positions are former Quezon City Mayor Herbert BISTEK BAUTISTA (31%), lawyer Chel DIOKNO (33%). Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation lawyer Larry GADON (27%) and former Sen. Sonny TRILLANES IV (25%).
The non-commissioned survey was conducted from Sept. 23 to 30, 2023 with some 1,200 respondents who are eligible to vote in the 2025 senatorial and local elections. The survey has a confidence level of 98% and a margin of error of + 3.0%.
Interestingly, the ratings accorded to the candidates who are in the list shown to respondents are still on the high side. This is so because the voters will normally make their final choices by about the second quarter of 2024.
Ed M. Malay, The CENTER director, said that what will make this 2025 senatorial poll exciting is in the realignment of political affiliations. While most of the existing major political parties are allied with the administration, there exists a possibility that one or two of the pro-administration parties may yet field their own set of senatorial candidates on May 12, 2025 and that is what will add color to this otherwise predictable political exercise.
MARCOS ADMINISTRATION HAS TO LAUNCH
NATIONWIDE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN IF IT WANTS THE SWITCH TO FEDERALISM TO FLY
Proponents of the move to change the form of government from the present Presidential system to the Federal type of government of Federalism will have to launch a comprehensive educational campaign across the breadth and depth of the country if it wants the plan to fly.
The CENTER said it will not only be a risky proposition but a dangerous one at that if the government decides to switch to the untried and untested Federal form of government with only 36% of those interviewed saying they are aware of what Federalism is all about.
Results of the PULSO ng PILIPINO 3rd quarter tracking poll showed that 45% of the 1,200 respondents do not know anything about Federalism and another 19% said they only have scant knowledge of the proposed Federal form of government.
And of the 36% who claim to know what Federalism is, 43% are not in favor of the proposal to change the form of government and only 36% said they are in favor to give Federalism a try while another 21% said they aren’t sure.
With these figures The CENTER said it would be foolish to pursue a major change in the form of government unless the Administration and whomever are behind this proposal will decide to undertake a massive information campaign to educate the people on the nuances of the Federal form of government.
Sometime in 2007, then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo looked into the possibility of amending the present 1987 Constitution to include a change in the form of government from presidential to Unicameral Assembly or Parliamentary form of government.
The first thing that the Arroyo Administration did was it formed a team from the Lakas NUCD with instruction to cover every region and major provincial and city centers throughout the country to introduce and educate the people on the pros and cons of the proposed Unicameral form of government.
But before the proposal could be submitted through a plebiscite the Opposition at that time gathered its forces to oppose the proposal claiming that it was only a ruse to provide President Arroyo with a window to stay in power and become the country’s first Prime Minister.
Notwithstanding the beneficial features of the Unicameral Assembly over the presidential form of government particularly with regards to accountability and transparency in governance the proposal failed to take off because of the political opposition which was later supported by the Church.
CLEAR MAJORITY OF PULSO NG PILIPINO SURVEY RESPONDENTS WANT CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS ONLY
FOR INTELLIGENCE GATHERING, SURVEILLANCE
AND SECURITY OF THE NATION
A clear majority of the people surveyed by The Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER) prefer that confidential funds be allocated only to government agencies that are directly involved in intelligence gathering, surveillance and in the development of defense capability of the Philippines.
In the non-commissioned 3rd quarter PULSO ng PILIPINO tracking poll survey conducted by The CENTER on Sept. 23 to 30, 2023, some 52% said they prefer to have the confidential funds allocated to government agencies which perform functions that are relevant to the country’s security given the fact that the Philippines is an archipelagic nation and thus would require prudence with regards its defense spending.
In its final session, the House of Representatives has unanimously approved the reallocation of the P650-million in confidential funds that was initially included in the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President to several offices – the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to boost its surveillance and security capability with regards the territories in the West Philippine Sea which is being annexed by China.
The PnP survey results also showed that 60% of those surveyed are fully aware of what confidential funds are thanks in part to the extensive news coverage of the budget hearings conducted by the Senate and the Lower House where the issue on confidential funds was brought out to fore. Only 17% are not aware and another 23% are moderately aware.
Of the 60% who have adequate knowledge of the existence of confidential funds, some 52% are not in favor of providing confidential funds to government agencies other than offices which are involved in intelligence gathering, surveillance operations and the security and defense of the territories of the country particularly in reference to the West Philippine Sea.
Only 21% said they are in favor of confidential funds finding its way to civilian offices of the government with 15% saying they are moderately in favor of the inclusion of CFs in the budget of government offices while 12% said they are unsure if such is right or wrong.
The decision of the Lower House to slash the budget for confidential funds of the OVP and have these reallocated to other offices that are involved in the security of the West Philippine Sea has placed Speaker Ferdinand Martin ROMUALDEZ directly in the path of Vice President Sara DUTERTE with some political observers saying that the battle lines for the 2028 presidential run has just been defined.
BATTLE LINES FOR 2028 ARE DRAWN
AS VEEP GOES ON THE WARPATH, TAGS THOSE
WHO SLASHED HER CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS
AS ENEMIES OF PEACE
PULSO NG PILIPINO --- Political swords that are supposed to be kept in the steel safe boxes and are to be drawn five years from today have been unsheathed this early as the battle lines for the 2028 presidential elections were already drawn clear with Vice President Sara DUTERTE spewing fire after the members of the House of Representatives have unanimously decided to slash the proposed P650-million confidential fund of the Office of the Vice President.
It will be recalled that the Lower House has unanimously approved the proposed
2024 General Appropriations Act totaling P5.768 Trillion that was highlighted by the
reallocation of the P650-million confidential funds originally allotted for the Office of the
Vice President but which were instead distributed to offices which are directly involved
in the security of the nation.
The CENTER’s inside sources at the Lower House said many legislators were
moved to reallocate the controversial confidential funds following revelations that the
OVP had disbursed the P125-million in confidential funds in just 12 days. These funds
came from the 2022 budget and were transferred to the OVP from the Office of the
President.
A significant portion of these reallocated funds were moved to the National
Intelligence Coordinating Agency, National Security Council, Philippine Coast Guard,
and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to enhance the country’s surveillance and defense capabilities in the WPS.
Finding her office with no confidential funds to work on, the Vice President on October 5, 2023 devoted almost the entirety of her speech before the Philippine National Police in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte that was laden with fire as she called those who are against the confidential funds that was proposed by her office as “enemies of the nation.”
Without referring to the House of Representatives and or to Speaker Ferdinand Martin ROMUALDEZ, the Vice President branded critics of the confidential funds as a hindrance to ensuring the security and development of the country.
Political observers were quick to react describing Vice President Sara DUTERTE’s rejoinder as a prelude to the looming scenario in the 2028 presidential elections. It has been rumored that the Marcos camp is not keen in supporting the presidential plans of the Vice President and is currently building up its political base and resources in support of House Speaker Martin ROMUALDEZ. The Speaker, however, has yet to make his intentions known. He is on his second term as Representative of the 1st District of Leyte and is assured of reelection for his third term in 2025.
He will thus be eligible to aspire for the presidency in 2028 and when that happens, Romualdez will certainly find himself crossing swords with two ladies – Vice President Sara DUTERTE and Leni ROBREDO. # # #
SATISFACTION RATING OF MARCOS,
DUTERTE DROPS SLIGHTLY,
UNDERSTANDABLY SO SINCE EXPECTATIONS ARE ALWAYS HIGH ON THE FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE OF ANY GOVERNMENT
PULSO NG PILIPINO ---- The satisfaction rating of the Marcos Administration in its first year in office dipped slightly by three points from the +72% it scored in the Pulso ng Pilipino (PnP) survey during the first quarter of the current year to +69% in the latest non-commissioned PnP survey conducted by the Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER.)
The survey which has a sample size of 1,200 respondents were
equitably distributed to reflect the number of registered voters in 2022 in all
the 16 political subdivisions of the country.
The CENTER disclosed that it employed the most common standard
method in data gathering which is the Multi-stage, area probability sampling
(MSAP) with the village or the Barangay center as the first layer staging area
and with the field staff proceeding in either direction along the major streets
at the discretion of the researcher.
In the course of the face-to-face interviews, a skip interval method was
employed with five to seven houses in between calls in thickly populated
villages to obviate any bias in replies. Selective interviews were made taking
into account the demographic requirements such as gender, age and
socio-eco classification as the main considerations.
In such situations, proper physical distancing was still observed
including disinfection of the materials used. Calls were checked back at random by
the Team Leader to ensure accuracy of data entered on the call cover and interview pages. The intelligence information gathered from the Listening Posts (LPs) were also factored in. This layered system of intelligence gathering thru the LPs were first developed during the presidential campaign of the late President Fidel V. Ramos in 1992 which ensures the accuracy of the Pulso ng Pilipino survey.
The survey questionnaire used are easy to understand and the respondents are given the option to simply respond by choosing from the questionnaire that were shown to the respondents. The fieldwork for the survey was conducted nationwide on June 23 to 30, 2023 and the survey framework has a confidence level in excess of 98% and an applied margin of error of 3.0% more or less.
This latest survey showed the satisfaction ratings of President Bongbong Marcos dropping by three points to +69% which The CENTER considers as still very high. Similarly, the satisfaction rating accruing to Vice President Inday Sara Duterte also dipped by four points to +68%. The satisfaction ratings of the country’s top two officials stook at identical +72% in the Pulso ng Pilipino survey of the First Quarter of 2023 which was conducted on April 11 to 18, 2023.
The CENTER also said that while the satisfaction ratings of President Marcos and
Vice President Duterte may have dipped slightly, their trust ratings remained at
excellent levels. When the respondents were asked if they still trust or do not trust
that Marcos and Duterte are still on track in keeping with their campaign promises and
in running the government, some 83% said they still trust the President while 84% said
they still trust the Vice President.
The CENTER also said the drop in the satisfaction rating for both the President
and the Vice President is understandable because the public’s expectation is always
high in the first year of their six-year term of the country’s top two officials. The people
expectedly want to see immediate results from their campaign promises and this trend
will taper off when the new government starts to settle down.
At the same time, the satisfaction ratings of Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri and Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo went up by four points and two points to +70% and +41%, respectively. Zubiri scored +66% and the Chief Justice posted +39% in their satisfaction ratings in the first quarter of the current year.
The satisfaction rating of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez went down by two points to +55% from the +57% in the first quarter of 2023 and Th e CENTER attributed this to the much publicized intramurals at the Lower House that led to the removal of Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Senior Deputy Speaker.
Overall, majority of Filipinos are satisfied with the way the government functioned in its first year in office with majority of Filipinos expressing their complete trust in their top five officials of the country with Zubiri, Romualdez and Gesmundo posting positive trust ratings with 80%, 70% and 75%, respectively. # # #
FILIPINOS WARY OF PNP PERSONNEL GETTING
INVOLVED IN THE ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE
Some 32% of those surveyed have also expressed apprehension over the recent news expose’ that named several officers and non-commissioned officers of the Philippine National Police as being involved in the recent attempt to cover up the seizure of P6.7 billion worth of shabu.
Other concerns relative to peace and order were also reflected in the 32% of those surveyed and these issues included random criminal incidents such as street snatchings, robbery, hold-ups particularly those that are perpetrated against call center employees working the night shift.
Respondents also raised an alarm over the spate of killings involving media practitioners as well as human trafficking and the increasing incidence of online financial scams that are reportedly being carried out by the illegal operators of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs.
Of those surveyed, 29% also expressed alarm over the growing foreign debt of the country and the seemingly unabated graft and corrupt practices in government offices. Part of the 29% claim that the government is not doing enough to protect the country’s claim and sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.
Some respondents also see the need for political reforms particularly the replacement of Smartmatic as provider of the electronic voting systems given the many controversies involving the automated electoral system.
Twenty one per cent of the respondents also point to agricultural smuggling which drives up the prices of basic commodities. Some of those surveyed also point to the anomalous conversion of farm lots into subdivisions which affects the agricultural productivity of the country. # # #
81% OF RESPONDENTS STILL TRUST
THE MARCOS ADMINISTRATION CAN STILL
SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS
BEFORE THEIR TERM ENDS IN 2028
Notwithstanding these problems confronting the country, 81% of those surveyed still trust that the Marcos Administration can solve these problems before their terms ends in 2028.
Some 89% said they have complete trust in the government while only 8% said they have lost faith in the government with a minuscule 3% saying they don’t know or are not sure. # # #
MAJORITY OF FILIPINOS FAVOR GIVING
TEMPORARY SHELTER TO AFGHAN REFUGEES
With the pendency of the request of the United States government for the Philippines to provide temporary shelter facilities to Afghan refugees who have been vetted for migration to the US and other Western countries, 88% of Filipinos surveyed by The CENTER said they are in favor of allowing the government to provide temporary shelter facilities to the refugees.
An overwhelming 92% said they see nothing wrong with the proposal considering that the Philippines had done the same to Israelis during World War II and to so-called White Russians who escaped when communist forces took over China in 1952. Only four per cent disapproved of the proposal.
TULFO, LOREN, MIGZ, IMEE,
BONG GO, TOLENTINO ARE TOP
PERFORMING SENATORS
ON THEIR FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE
As the government ends its first year in office from June 30, 2022, the Pulso ng Pilipino survey showed the Philippine Senate posting a very positive +83% satisfaction rating in its first year in office on account of 90% saying they are completely satisfied with the performance of the Philippine Senate as against only 7% who said they are dissatisfied and 3% giving no answer.
Senate Pres. Migz ZUBIRI Sen. Imee MARCOS
Primarily, Senators Raffy Tulfo (73%), Loren Legarda (67%), Migz Zubiri (63%), Imee Marcos (59%), Bong Go (59%) and Francis Tolentino (56%) were perceived by the respondents as the top performing senators over the past year. The results of this survey reflects the weight and volume of the public relations and publicity efforts of the 24 incumbent senators. # # #
DO YOUR PART. HELP CONSERVE WATER.
SEN. RAFFY TULFO
SEN. LOREN LEGARDA
SEN. GO 'BONG' GO
SEN. TOL TOLENTINO
MAJORITY OF REGISTERED VOTERS ARE CERTAIN
THEY WILL GO TO THE POLLS IN 2025
Majority of registered Filipino voters are certain they will go to the polls and cast their votes for their favored candidates when the elections are held on May 12, 2025.
The Pulso ng Pilipino survey showed that 72% of the registered voters are certain they will vote in 2025. Some 12% said they will most likely do so with 2% saying they aren’t sure and 5% said they will definitely not vote. The other four percent said they don’t know. # # #
SOCIAL MEDIA TOPS LIST
OF FACTORS USED BY VOTERS
IN CHOOSING CANDIDATES
Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok have become the leading source of information used by voters when choosing the candidates they will vote for. Of the 1,200 respondents surveyed, some 30% said they regularly go online to open their soc-med accounts as their primary sources of information to be updated on the latest trends including political tidbits.
Eighteen (18%) percent said they get their political information from news programs that are available on TV and Radio news programs. Some 14% browse through the Google News and another 14% said they also rely on the endorsements of political and religious organizations as well as celebrities.
Nine (9%) per cent said they conduct their own research by interacting with their family members, friends and colleagues in their workplaces. Printed newspapers is the source of only 6% and what is disconcerting is the survey results showing only 5% look at the
character of the political candidates and the sad reality is that only a small 4% said they are guided by the speeches and public appearances of political candidates.
The CENTER said this pattern which is a departure from the way the people go through the electoral process in times pas and this clearly explains why mediocrity seems to have replaced the search for excellence in governance. # # #