The percentage of Filipinos who approve of the national administration's performance in addressing select urgent issues in June 2021 has declined, a Pulse Asia survey revealed.

Pulse Asia president Dr. Ronald Holmes noted that disapproval rating when it comes to controlling inflation has risen to 30 percent while the approval rating has "dropped to the majority."

"Ibig sabihin, dahan-dahan nang hindi nasisiyahan ang mamayan sa pagtugon ng pambansang administrasyon sa mga pangunahing usapin na sa kanila ay napakahalaga na dapat tugunan kaagad ng pamahalaan. (This means that the people are gradually becoming dissatisfied with the national administration's response to major issues that are very important to them which the government must address immediately)," Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes said during the PILIpiLUNAS2022 online forum organized by the University of the Philippines Diliman on Friday, Aug. 6.

The nationwide survey conducted from June 7 to 16, 2021 has 2,400 respondents.

The respondents were asked: "Among the following national issues, please name up to three issues that the current administration should act on immediately? You can mention others not on the list of 16 issues."

Topping the list of issues that Filipino adults would like the national government to address is controlling inflation (39 percent) and increasing the pay of workers (35 percent).

Likewise, Filipinos would like the government to work on creating more jobs (26 percent), reducing the poverty of many Filipinos (26 percent), providing assistance/subsidy to those who lost their livelihood and jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic (25 percent), controlling the spread of COVID-19 (24 percent), and fighting graft and corruption in government (23 percent).

"Kung titignan historically yung ating figures dito sa bawat administrasyon may makikita kang tampok na usapin sa pagsisimula ng administrasyon. Noong nagsimula yung administrasyon ng dating yumaong pangulong Noynoy Aquino noong 2010, yung fighting graft and corruption in government was one of the most urgent concerns. Nung nagsimula yung administrasyon ni Pangulong Duterte, yung fighting criminality yung primary concern. (If you look historically at our figures in each administration, you will see a feature issue at the beginning of the administration. When the administration of the late president Noynoy Aquino began in 2010, fighting graft and corruption in government was one of the most urgent concerns. When President Duterte's administration began, fighting crime was the primary concern)," Holmes said.

"Ang ibig sabihin nito mayroong signaling effect ang mga pronouncement ng Pangulo. Pero sa pangmatagalan ang fundamental issues pa rin ay yung mga usapin na mas malapit sa bituka o yung mga gut issues. Ito yung may kinalaman sa ekonomiya. (This means that a President's pronouncements have a signaling effect. But in the long run the fundamental issues are still the issues that are closer to the intestine or the gut issues. It still has something to do with the economy)," he added.