Six in 10 see Philippine economy as worse off than a decade ago, survey says

SIX IN 10 registered voters believe that the Philippines’ overall state has deteriorated over the past decade, a sentiment strongly shared by respondents in Mindanao (67%) and the Visayas (66%), according to a PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc. October survey. In a statement on Thursday, PUBLiCUS Asia, however, said perceptions are mixed at the household level, with 40% of respondents saying their personal financial conditions improved compared with a decade ago, while 38% said their household finances worsened. On the current state of the nation, half of voters, or 50%, view the country’s present situation unfavorably. This marks a slight decline from 53% in the previous quarterly reading, the pollster noted. More than one in five (21%) of voters consider the current national state favorable, unchanged from the previous quarter, according to PUBLiCUS Asia. When asked about the country’s general direction, 48% of respondents believe the Philippines is heading in the wrong direction, down slightly from 51% previously. Conversely, the proportion of citizens who feel the nation is moving in the right direction saw a modest uptick, rising to 28% from 26%. “Expectations for the national economy have weakened,” the research firm noted. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the Philippine economic growth slowed 2.3% year on year in the second quarter. September inflation surged to 7.2% due to spikes in transport, utility, and food prices; while August unemployment rate stood at 5.3%, representing 2.77 million jobless Filipinos nationwide. About 46% of voters anticipate an economic downturn in the coming quarter, up from 41% in the prior period. Those expecting positive economic developments dipped to 28% from 29%. In contrast to national economic anxiety, household financial expectations remain comparatively resilient. About 44% of voters anticipate an improvement in their personal financial situation in the near term, though this is slightly down from 46%. About one in four (25%) expect their household finances to deteriorate, up from 22%. ANTI-ADMIN Meanwhile, nearly half of voters, or 47%, currently identify as anti-administration, while 38% consider themselves neutral, identifying as neither pro- nor anti-administration. Support for the government remains constrained, with the National Capital Region recording 21% of respondents identifying as pro-administration. Anti-administration sentiment reached its highest concentration in Mindanao at 57%. Attitudes toward the political opposition were similarly lukewarm. Forty-three percent of voters identified as neither pro- nor anti-opposition, while 35% expressed an anti-opposition stance. Overall, anxiety remains a dominant theme in public disposition. Although voters expressing a pessimistic outlook dropped to 68% from 72%, anxiety was reported by 27% of respondents, making it more prevalent than optimism, which was expressed by 23%. The noncommissioned survey was conducted from Oct. 1 to 4, participated by 1,581 registered voters, with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking