President Duterte’s approval rating further improved in December, the latest Pulse Asia survey revealed.
In the December survey, the President’s approval rating jumped by nine percentage points to 87 percent, from 78 percent last September, while disapproval rating declined by three percentage points from eight percent to five percent.
Undecided also dropped by six percentage points to eight percent, from 14 percent.
But in the National Capital Region (NCR), Duterte’s approval rating dipped two percentage points to 78 percent, from 80 percent in September after the number of undecided increased by four percentage points to 16 percent, from 12 percent.
Despite the lower approval rating in the NCR, the President’s disapproval score decreased by two percentage points to six percent in December, from eight percent in September.
In balance Luzon, approval rating accelerated by 14 percentage points to 83 percent, from 69 percent last September after disapproval and undecided fell to six percent and 11 percent, respectively.
In the September survey in areas of Luzon outside Metro Manila, the President’s disapproval rating was at 11 percent while undecided was at 21 percent.
The President, meanwhile, got the highest approval ratings in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
According to the Pulse Asia’s December survey, President Duterte scored an approval rating of 98 percent in Mindanao, a further improvement from 92 percent in September.
Based on the latest survey in Mindanao, none of the respondents had disapproved the President’s performance and only two percent were undecided.
Visayas also gave President Duterte an approval rating of 93 percent, up nine percentage points compared with 84 percent previously. The chief executive’s disapproval rating in the region declined one percentage point to five percent, while undecided was down seven percentage points to two percent.
GOV’T REFORMS
Reacting to Pulse Asia’s survey results, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said he believed that the government’s initiatives and reforms have helped Duterte secure a higher approval rating in the last quarter of this year.
Andanar said the Philippines‘ recent hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games; the crackdown on illegal drugs; the so-called Dutertenomics; the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program; and socio-economic reforms and policies “have paved the way and yielded this positive and high approval rating from the Filipinos.”
He added that the current administration’s dedication to reduce crime rate and poverty incidence, as well as to tame inflation in the country has also contributed to the “outstanding” results of the survey. (Chino Leyco, PNA)