Pulse Asia: 73% disapprove of gov't measures on inflation

At least 73% of Filipinos disapprove of the Marcos administration’s efforts in controlling inflation or the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services, the latest Pulse Asia poll showed.

The Pulse Asia survey, taken from December 3 to 7, 2023, showed that Filipinos’ disapproval of the government’s efforts to control inflation registered a double-digit increase to 73% from 56% on September 23.

The same Pulse Asia poll also found that Filipinos’ disapproval of the government’s measures in increasing workers' pay increased by 12 percentage points to 36% from 24% in September 2023.

Also registering an increased disapproval rating is the government’s efforts in fighting graft and corruption, whose disapproval score increased to 33% from 23% in September 2023.

A higher disapproval rating was also recorded in the government’s efforts to reduce poverty (39% from 31% in September 2023) and address the problem of involuntary hunger (24% from 16% in September 2023).

Controlling inflation remained the most urgent national concern at 72%, with increasing the workers' pay coming in a distant second most urgent national concern at 40%.

Ranking third among the most urgent national concerns is reducing the poverty of many Filipinos at 25%, followed by fighting graft and corruption at 19%.

Rounding up the top 10 national concerns are:

• assisting farmers, including selling their products (18%)
• addressing the problem of involuntary hunger (18%)
• fighting criminality (15%)
• providing support to small entrepreneurs to restore their businesses (11%)
• enforcing the law on all, whether influential or ordinary people (10%)
• reducing the amount of taxes paid (10%), among others.

The notable events that occurred before and during the survey period include:

• former Senator Leila de Lima being granted bail after being detained for more than six years on drug-related charges,
• the House of Representatives Committees on Justice and on Human Rights adopting House Resolution 477, which calls on the Philippine government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor in its investigation of the crimes against humanity charges against former President Duterte from his administration’s drug war,
• the bombing during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University in Marawi City, and
• aftermath of subsequent magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 earthquakes, which left three dead and 88 injured.

Pulse Asia’s non-commissioned December 2023 survey was taken among 1,200 adults aged 18-years-old and above.

It has a ± 2.8% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following error margins at a 95% confidence level: ± 5.7% for Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. — DVM, GMA Integrated News