Filipinos’ satisfaction with the present administration’s performance further dropped within the previous quarter, aaccording to a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Filipinos’ satisfaction with the present administration’s performance further dropped with an overall rating of minus-20 from –11 in the previous quarter, according to a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The nationwide survey conducted last September 18 to 21 among 1,800 respondents, showed that 50 percent of Filipinos are dissatisfied with the Arroyo administration’s performance, while 30 percent expressed otherwise, which brought the net rating to –20 (percentage of satisfied minus percentage of dissatisfied).

The respondents were specifically asked to answer the question, “Overall, are you happy or unhappy with the current national administration (Sa pangkalahatan, gaano po kayo nasisiyahan o hindi nasisiyahan sa kasalukuyang administrasyong national)?”

SWS said the latest figure is lower than the –11 rating recorded in the June SWS survey.

The survey also asked the respondents to rate the Arroyo administration on 14 key issues.

The SWS used the following qualifications to rate the performance of the government in 14 specific issues: +50 and above is “very good,” +30 to +49 “good,” +10 to +29 “moderate,” +9 to -9 “neutral,” -10 to -29 “poor,” -30 to -49 “bad,” and -50 or lower “very bad.”

The Arroyo administration got the highest score on the issue of protecting the public from disease outbreaks with +31. However, SWS noted that the rating is nine points lower than the +40 recorded in the second quarter survey.

Meanwhile, moderate ratings were recorded on ensuring that all food products in the market are safe with + 29, promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers with +19, ensuring that medicines are affordable with +18, foreign relations with +12 and helping the poor with +10.

Neutral ratings were recorded in terms of fighting terrorism (+5), reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+3), reconciliation with communist rebels (+3), campaigning against illegal drugs (+3), and fighting crimes (-8).

Poor ratings were noted in terms of fighting inflation (-19), ensuring that families will not experience hunger (-20), and eradicating graft and corruption (-28).

The SWS survey used sampling error of margins of ±2.3 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent for Metro Manila and Mindanao, and ±4 percent for the rest of Luzon outside of Metro Manila, and the Visayas.