74% trust P-Noy

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA and GENALYN D. KABILING
MANILA, Philippines Most Filipinos continue to express confidence in President Benigno S. Aquino IIIs performance in the past three months, as shown in the latest Pulse Asia survey released Tuesday.

In the nationwide survey conducted from November 10 to 23 among 1,200 respondents, 74 percent expressed trust in President Aquino and 72 percent approved of his performance.

Malacaang welcomed the Filipinos high trust and confidence in President Aquino.

Secretary Ramon Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said they will not rest on their laurels and will continue to work toward a more fair and equitable country.

It is a clear sign of the continued trust and confidence of the Filipino people. But whether the numbers are up or down, the work of building a more fair and equitable country goes on, Carandang said.

Pulse Asia said the overall figures hardly differ from those recorded by Pulse Asia in its August survey.

Although there is a five-percentage point decline in the Presidents national approval rating, as well as a five-percentage point increase in his overall disapproval score and a four-percentage point rise in his overall distrust rating, these changes are marginal at best given the surveys overall error margin of +/- three percentage points, it said.

President Aquino also registered majority approval and trust ratings across geographic areas Metro Manila, rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and across socio-economic classes ABC, D, and E.

The latest survey figures showed that Filipinos assessment of presidential performance and trustworthiness remained constant between August and November, 2011.

During the same period, the only double-digit movements in President Aquinos ratings were the decline in! his app roval and trust ratings in Mindanao (-10 and -12 percentage points, respectively.).

Likewise, Pulse Asia noted the drop in President Aquinos approval rating in the poorest Class E (-11 percentage points) and decline in the level of indecision (those who did not specify whether they trust or distrust the President) toward his trustworthiness registered among Visayans (-12 percentage points).

As also found in the survey, majority of Filipinos approve of the Aquino administrations work in the areas of equally enforcing the law on all citizens (53 percent), fighting criminality (53 percent), and eradicating corruption in the government (56 percent).

The Aquino administration also registered sizeable approval ratings in its efforts to control population growth (42 percent), increase in the pay of workers (43 percent), creation of more jobs (48 percent), protection of environment (49 percent), and promotion of peace (50 percent).

Meanwhile, 44 percent and 39 percent of Filipinos expressed either approval or indecision, respectively toward the Aquino administrations initiative to strengthen Filipinos trust in the government and its officials.

The Aquino leadership scored 32 percent approval ratings on the reduction of poverty and control of inflation.