75% dissatisfied with government effort vs inflation – poll

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the easing inflation reported in recent months, three in every four Filipinos now say they are dissatisfied with the government’s efforts to control the rising cost of basic commodities, a recent survey conducted by the OCTA Research group showed.

Results of the Dec. 10 to 14 survey released on Feb. 17 found a record-high 75 percent of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with the government’s performance in managing inflation.

Only six percent were satisfied, while 19 percent were undecided.

Compared to a similar survey in October, satisfaction with the government’s efforts to control inflation dropped by eight points from 14 percent, while dissatisfaction increased by 11 points from 64 percent.

The Philippine Statistics Authority recently reported that headline inflation slowed to a three-year low of 2.8 percent in January.

It dropped from 4.9 percent in October, 4.1 percent in November and 3.9 percent in December.

Although lower than the inflation rate recorded in the first half of 2023, having a positive inflation rate means that prices of basic commodities continue to increase.

Meanwhile, satisfaction with the government in terms of reducing poverty further dropped from 29 percent to 14 percent, while dissatisfaction increased from 31 percent to 46 percent. The remaining 40 percent were undecided.

The Marcos administration also obtained a satisfaction rate of less than the majority in six other issues: creating more jobs (33 percent satisfied, 31 percent dissatisfied), ensuring food security (34 percent satisfied, 32 percent dissatisfied), reducing hunger (39 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied), fighting graft and corruption (41 percent satisfied, 26 percent dissatisfied), reducing the amount of taxes (46 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied) and helping the poor (48 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied).

Out of the 24 issues included in the survey, the government obtained its highest satisfaction rating in terms of building public infrastructure (81 percent satisfied, three percent dissatisfied), followed by effective response to natural disasters (77 percent satisfied, six percent dissatisfied) and