Then. In 1992, the day before her successor was sworn in as president, I wrote in the Manila Chronicle (in italics below):
How history will judge Cory Aquino is indicated at present, I think, by what the Filipino people? rather than by what columnists?think about her.
Since 1986, Filipinos in general (in contrast to Metro Manilans in particular, who are much harder to please) have given Cory Aquino a net positive performance rating. After a long honeymoon up to 1987, her rating dipped over 1988-90, and thereafter stabilized at a low but nevertheless positive level.
[We know now that, in fact, the average net satisfaction rating of Cory Aquino as president exceeded those of all her successors up to 2009.]
? Was Cory right, in her last U.P. speech, ?Reflections on Our Democracy,? in denying that her government has been weak?
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys obtain performance ratings for the national administration on many subjects, but none using the term ?weakness? or ?strength.? In some matters, such as (a) the preparations for the last election, (b) working for a peaceful society, (c) telling the truth, (d) land reform, and (e) protecting the environment, public satisfaction dominates over dissatisfaction, as of April 1992.
In other areas, however, such as (f) fighting inflation, (g) fighting graft and corruption, (h) adjusting to life without the U.S. bases, (i) fighting crime, (j) solving the foreign debt problem, and (k) making decisions quickly, public dissatisfaction dominates over satisfaction. ?
So the reality is that the public has regarded the Cory administration as strong in some respects and weak in others. The situation is neither all black nor all white, so those pundits who would paint it in only one color ought not to be taken seriously.
Incidentally, the SWS survey question on public satisfaction with the national administration began only in 1989?semi-annual up to 1991 and quarterly beginning in 1992, i.e. entirely after the ?honeymoon period.? The net rating started at a high +23 in February 1989, went to a low -10 in December 1990, and ended at a neutral -5 in April 1992.
Now. Malacańang?s mood seemed to have improved this week, after the Aug. 10 release of the public?s ratings of the national administration, per the June 2009 SWS survey.
SWS found 32 percent satisfied and 42 percent dissatisfied with the national administration?s performance, for a net rating of -11 (correctly rounded), or in the ?Poor? range defined by scores of -10 to -29.
The report noted a ?Good? net rating of +40 with respect to protecting the public from outbreak of diseases, and ?Moderate? ratings on foreign relations (+23), promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (+23), fighting terrorism (+15), ensuring that medicines are affordable (+14), campaigning against illegal drugs (+10), and helping the poor (+10). The SWS term ?Good? starts at +30, while the term ?Very good? starts at +50.
The public?s ratings of reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+9), protecting the Philippines from the economic crisis in the US and other advanced countries (+4), and fighting crimes (+1) are called ?Neutral? because single-digit net ratings are statistically indistinguishable from zero.
The ratings of fighting inflation (-14), ensuring that no family will ever be hungry and have nothing to eat (-21), and eradicating graft and corruption in the government (-21) are called ?Poor,? which starts at -10. None of the issues scored as ?Bad? or ?Very bad,? which start at -30 and -50 respectively.
Nine of eleven issues with two successive readings had scores higher than the previous quarter. The press secretary, said BusinessWorld, found ?inspiration? in the report. The deputy presidential spokesman called the improvement ?a welcome development,? yet said it does not change President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s basic philosophy of ?governing for performance and posterity, not popularity.?
It should be noted that ratings of the national administration are taken separately from, and simultaneously with, the ratings of the President. Thus the public has positive feelings about certain undertakings of the national executive branch even while having long-run negative feelings about President Arroyo herself.
Compare this to 1992, when the public had negative feelings about certain undertakings of the Aquino administration, even while having long-run positive feelings about President Aquino herself.
As in 1992, the appearance of the government to the Filipino people in 2009 is neither all black nor all white. The truth is that Filipinos are capable of distinguishing shades and hues in government performance. Moreover, what they see will vary over time. Such survey findings tend to be frustrating for political partisans, some of whom think that SWS exaggerates, while others think that it soft-pedals. Actually, it just reports whatever numbers it gets, without change.
Back to June 1992 ? Cory said, in her speech [in U.P.], that she knew that poverty alleviation should be her primary concern, but admitted that ?we didn?t have a clear idea of how to go about it.??
Cory?s speech had the line: ?If the politicians continue to ignore the people and people?s organizations, they will be repeatedly punished at the polls until attrition removes the last of them.?
I like that [and still do!], because the work of surveying public opinion is premised on a faith that, in appraising the conditions of society, the people?s evaluation is the bottom line.
* * *
Contact SWS: www.sws.org.ph or mahar.mangahas@sws.org.ph.
