Palace affirms AFP, TESDA, DepEd as 'most trusted' agencies


Malacañang is not surprised that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Technical Education and Skills Authority (TESDA), and Department of Education (DepEd) emerged as the "most trusted" government agencies by Filipinos as they are the ones that have direct contact with the people.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Technical Education and Skills Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Education (DepEd) are the "most trusted" agencies based on the recent PUBLiCUS survey results.

Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said this after the latest PUBLiCUS survey showed that the AFP, TESDA, and DepEd led the 10 government agencies that registered the highest "trust ratings."

Pahayag 2022 Third Quarter is an independent and non-commissioned survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc between September 16 to 20, 2022.

Based on the survey results, the AFP posted the highest trust rating at 57 percent, followed by TESDA and DepEd at 56 and 55 percent, respectively.

The rest of the government agencies in the Top 10 are:

  • Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), 53 percent
  • Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 49 percent
  • Commission on Higher Education (CHED), 48 percent
  • Department of Science and Technology (DOST), 47 percent
  • Department of Health (DOH), 45 percent
  • Department of Tourism (DOT), 44 percent
  • Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), 44 percent

In a statement, Garafil noted that government agencies within the Top 10 with high trust ratings are those who have direct contact with the people, especially in the delivery of essential social services.

Garafil said it is not surprising for the AFP to have the highest trust rating because it is directly involved in search and rescue operations during disasters.

"The AFP has the Army, Navy, and Air Force at its disposal during times of calamities and disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes," she said.

"Army soldiers are responsible for conducting rescue and relief missions in far-flung areas in the provinces. Navy personnel are engaged in seaborne search and rescue operations," she added.

Garafil said TESDA and DepEd occupying the second and third spots in the survey indicated how people value basic education and the continuity through TESDA that provides skills training for high school graduates who want immediate employment.

"The same goes with DSWD, CHED, DOST, DOH, DOT, and DOLE, whose services are directly felt by ordinary Filipinos who are constantly seeking help and assistance from the national government," she said.

The 1,500 registered Filipino voters who participated in the Pahayag 2022 Third Quarter Survey were randomly sampled by PureSpectrum, a US-based panel with a global presence, from its national panel of more than 200,000 Filipinos. The sample-wide margin of error is +/- 3%.

Pahayag is an independent and non-commissioned national purposive survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc. Pahayag, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program of PUBLiCUS, is released quarterly.