A non-commissioned poll conducted by the independent OCTA Research group showed that at least 70 percent of adult Filipinos are satisfied with the current administration’s performance on programs relating to education, disaster response, and health care.

Through its Tugon ng Masa survey held from Oct. 23 until Oct. 27, 2022, OCTA Research surveyed 1,200 male and female respondents aged 18 years and above and asked them the poll question: “Could you please tell us your opinion about their performance on each program in the first 100 days of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration.”

Marcos administration's performance on selected programs

Programs listed in the poll as mentioned earlier include ensuring food security or access to affordable food, providing quality tertiary and technical/vocational education, providing quality primary and secondary education, controlling the prices of basic goods or managing inflation, reducing poverty, as well as creating more jobs.

Among other programs listed were fighting criminality, fighting graft and corruption, promoting peace and order in the country, reducing the amount of taxes of citizens, protecting the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers, enforcing the law, stopping the destruction and abuse of the environment, and controlling population growth.

Completing the list of 23 programs were defending the integrity of Philippine territory, preparing to effectively face any kind of terrorist threat, responding to natural disasters, developing public infrastructure, providing quality and affordable health care, helping the poor, improving foreign relations, protecting human rights, and preventing the spread of illegal drugs in the country.

The highs and lows

According to OCTA, at least 70 percent of the Filipino respondents are satisfied with the administration’s programs, particularly the provision of quality primary and secondary education which garnered 75 percent of satisfactory votes.

It was followed by the national government’s response to natural disasters and calamities (75 percent), the provision of tertiary and technical/vocational education (74 percent), and the provision of quality and affordable health care (73 percent).

Meanwhile, programs with a low – or less than 50 percent rating – include the following: controlling the prices of basic goods or managing inflation (33 percent), reducing poverty (36 percent), reducing the amount of taxes of citizens (44 percent), and controlling population growth (44 percent).

In terms of dissatisfaction, on the other hand, 20 percent of the respondents are “dissatisfied” with programs relating to the creation of more jobs (22 percent), reduction of poverty (25 percent), and controlling the prices of basic goods (36 percent).