Poll: Fewer Pinoys approve of gov’t COVID response

The number of Filipinos who approved of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly dropped following a surge of new cases caused by the Delta variant, a survey conducted by OCTA Research showed.

Although the survey was conducted from Sept. 11 to 16, its results were released only yesterday. It showed that the government’s approval rating on pandemic response dropped from 80 percent in July to just 50 percent.

Those who disapprove of what the government is doing increased from seven percent to 23 percent, while those who cannot say if they approve or disapprove increased from 13 percent to 27 percent.

“Please also note that the survey was conducted last Sept. 11 to 16 during the peak of the surge in the National Capital Region,” OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye said. “We expect that the ratings for the government’s response to COVID-19 to improve in the last quarter.”

The government’s approval rating on COVID response decreased in all areas, with the highest among those in Mindanao at 78 percent (from 84 percent). It was followed by those in balance Luzon at 46 percent (from 83 percent), Metro Manila at 38 percent (from 87 percent) and Visayas at 35 percent (from 65 percent).

Disapproval is highest among those in the Visayas at 31 percent (from 12 percent), followed by those in Metro Manila at 29 percent (from seven percent), rest of Luzon at 27 percent (from seven percent) and Mindanao at seven percent (from six percent).

Fewer people are aware of the government’s efforts to upgrade the capacity of hospitals, from 61 percent in July to 50 percent in September, although awareness of other programs has increased during the same period.

These include COVID-19 testing (from 80 percent to 84 percent), contact tracing (from 75 percent to 81 percent) and building isolation and quarantine facilities (from 76 percent to 78 percent).

The same poll showed that 68 percent of respondents identified staying healthy among their most urgent personal concern, followed by having a secure and well-paying job or source of income at 53 percent, to finish schooling or provide education for their children (50 percent) and to avoid being a victim of any serious crime (45 percent).