United Opposition (UNO) vice presidential candidate and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said Saturday he was elated after the latest Pulse Asia survey showed he gained a two-percentage point.

Binay and former President Joseph Estrada, the UNO-Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) presidential candidate, expressed elation over their improved standing.

While the survey only captured a small portion of the voting populace, Binay said that they are content that their rankings have consistently shot upwards unlike the fluctuating performance of other candidates.

“The result encourages us in the Erap-Binay team to intensify our campaign and bring out our strength of proven leadership and genuine concern for the poor,” he said.

The survey conducted from February 21-25 showed opposition standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada, improving his showing by six percent, as he posted a rating of 18 percent from January’s 12 percent.

He posted the most significant increase among all presidential hopefuls.

Binay, on the other hand, improved his rating by two percent as he posted 15 percent, compared to his 13 percent showing in January. This too, was the highest jump in the ratings\ among vice presidential hopefuls.

Frontrunner Senator Mar Roxas retained the lead at 43 percent, but he dropped by four percent compared to the results of the January survey. Sen. Loren Legarda’s popularity also dipped by one percent last month, according to Pulse Asia.

The opposition tandem earlier admitted to experiencing budget problems due to the slow inflow of campaign contributions from donors, which they attributed to the global economic crunch. The remained unfazed however, and said that they will do their best with what they have to reach more people with their limited capacities.

“I believe this is just the beginning. President Estrada and I are confident that as the election approaches and as we reach more Filipinos during our sorties, we will be able to get more support from our people,” he said.

Binay said that he believes that Filipino voters are wiser now, and are more aware of social issues that make them immune to false advertising.

“Our people can differentiate who among us have the track record in implementing effective social programs and are really concerned about the welfare of the poor,” he said.

“They are starting to realize that the other candidates are merely offering promises, while both President Erap and myself have a track record of service. What the other candidates promise, both President Erap and myself have already done,” he added.

The Estrada-Binay tandem has centered their campaign on good governance with pro-poor programs at the centerpiece. The Makati mayor has a track record for providing free medical and health care for the city's underprivileged. The city is also the leader in public education and programs for the elderly, and has consistently remained one of the best managed local governments in the country.

“In Makati, we have shown that we only need to manage government resources well, and ensure that the benefits of growth are shared by all, most especially the poor. This is our philosophy of governance and this is what we intend to adopt under an Erap-Binay administration,” he said.