A survey may not give us 100 percent accuracy but it somehow provides a slice of the real picture. In the last election cycle, for example, surveys conducted by multiple organizations were always contested by different parties, except by those who stand to benefit. Whether you agree with these surveys or not, they offered clarity regarding voters’ preference. And the two names who consistently garnered top survey rankings in the presidential and vice presidential surveys are now the two highest officials of the land.
Results of a new survey was unveiled recently by OCTA Research called the 4th Quarter 2022 Tugon ng Masa Survey. Generally, it found out that 85 percent of 1,200 adult Filipinos believe that the country is “headed in the right direction” under the present administration.
Looking at the survey numbers, 90 percent of those surveyed in the Visayas answered “yes” to the question: “Based on the policies and programs presented and implemented by the current administration, do you think the country is heading in the right way?” After Visayas, 87 percent in Balance Luzon (Luzon outside Metro Manila), 84 percent in Mindanao, and 70 percent of adult Filipinos in Metro Manila think the country is moving in the right direction.
Overall, public confidence is high, especially for a young administration that has not even reached half a year.
The President was asked about his reaction and he answered that it was “very encouraging.” "Of course, it is very encouraging that people think that we are moving in the right direction," he said. “(I saw) that it crosses demographics. The number is more or less the same across demographics (and) that is important to me because every class of society must feel that they are being served by the government. With that kind of statistic, it looks like we have at least made the government felt by every level of society.”
The survey results also revealed that Class D citizens or those in lower middle class registered the highest agreement with 86 percent. This was followed by those from Class E, or the “poorest of the poor” with around 81 percent, then 79 percent of Classes ABC or the upper middle class agreeing that the country is moving toward the right direction.
Though the present administration has its share of challenges, controversies, and criticisms, these are part of any adjustments. The President, however, is just steady on his focus on rightsizing the bureaucracy, pursuing policies to ease doing business, and also showing the world that diplomacy is alive and well in Philippine foreign policy.
Knowing that a healthy proportion of a population supports the direction he is taking the country, it would be wise for Malacanang to seize the moment and put in place sweeping reforms that will truly elevate the lives of the poorest of the poor, and lift businesses from the economic doldrum caused by the pandemic.
There is still a long way to go for this administration. The challenges facing it are enormous in the fields of education, energy, agriculture, peace and order, environment, etc. The list is long. And patience is short. There will be impediments along the way. But a good start, based on what this OCTA survey has revealed, is always a welcome development and a motivation to strive harder.