2-10-2023 (MANILA) A recent survey by Pulse Asia conducted from September 10 to 14 has revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines has seen a “significant” drop in his approval ratings. The survey found that 65% of the 1,200 respondents approved of the president’s performance, marking a 15-point decrease from his 80% approval rating in a June poll. This decline marks the first drop in approval scores for the son of the late Philippine strongman, also named Ferdinand Marcos.
President Marcos secured a landslide victory in a presidential election last year, making it the first majority win since a “people power” uprising in 1986 that ended his father’s two-decade rule. The elder Marcos passed away in Hawaii in 1989.
Ronald Holmes, the president of Pulse Asia, suggested that the “significant” decline in approval ratings could be attributed to the continuous increase in prices of basic commodities and services, as well as unfulfilled promises of reducing these prices.
Despite efforts, including food tariff cuts, President Marcos, who also serves as the agriculture secretary, has struggled to control inflation. Inflation rates remain above the government’s target range of two percent to four percent, with an annual inflation rate of 6.6% recorded at the end of August.
In response to these challenges, President Marcos imposed price ceilings for rice last month in an effort to mitigate the impact of rising consumer prices on the Filipino population.
Additionally, Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, also experienced a decline in her approval ratings, dropping by 11 points to 73 percent.
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