The Department of Education (DepEd) was consistently the “most trusted and top-performing” government agency in the country based on the key findings from the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) nationwide survey, an independent and non-partisan poll conducted regularly by OCTA RESEARCH released on Friday, Dec. 1.

The focus of the survey results was on Trust and Performance Ratings of Selected Government Agencies. The DepEd, the results, showed was consistently the most trusted and top-performing government agency with 79 percent and 80 percent, respectively, in the 3rd Quarter 2023 TNM nationwide survey.

OCTA said the survey fieldwork was conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 using face-to-face interviews.

There were 1,200 male and female probability respondents aged 18 years and above were interviewed for the study. This survey has a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level, OCTA said.

OCTA noted that across major areas, the trust ratings of DepEd range from 70 percent to 88 percent.

Adult Filipinos who trust the DepEd, the survey showed, were highest in Visayas and Mindanao both with 88 percent, and lowest in Balance Luzon with 70 percent. In Balance Luzon, the TNM survey showed the lowest percentage of adult Filipinos who are undecided about their trust in DepEd was 27 percent.

In terms of socio-economic classes, OCTA noted that the trust ratings of DepEd range from 69 percent to 80 percent. Adult Filipinos who trust the DepEd, the survey showed, were highest in Class D at 80 percent and E at 78 percent and lowest in Class ABC at 69 percent.

The TNM survey also showed that a “great majority” of adult Filipinos or 73 percent and up were also satisfied with the performance of the most trusted government agencies in the third quarter of 2023 with DepEd topping the survey of best-performing government agencies in the third quarter of 2023 with an 80 percent performance rating.

Across major areas, TNM results showed that the performance ratings of the DepEd range from 72 percent to 91 percent.

OCTA noted that adult Filipinos who are satisfied with performance DepEd is highest in Visayas with 91 percent followed by Mindanao with 88 percent. The lowest performance rating is observed in Balance Luzon with 72 percent.

“Notably, DepEd maintains the highest performance rating among the selected government agencies in Balance Luzon,” the TNM survey noted.

Aside from DepEd, other agencies that rated high in the survey for both trust and performance were the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with both 75 percent; Department of Health (DOH) with 74 percent and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with 73 percent.

Meanwhile, three government agencies received trust ratings below 40 percent in the third quarter of 2023 which included the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at 35 percent; the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at 37 percent; and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) at 38 percent.