Pinoys tighten belt due to high prices

MANILA = Two in every three households or about 66 percent of Filipino households are now consuming less food or spending less to cope with rising prices, a Pulse Asia survey from July 1 to 14 showed.
The results of the survey, which covered 1,200 respondents nationwide, show an increase of 22 percentage points over the March 2008 figure of 44 percent.

Reduced food consumption and spending was more pronounced in the Visayas (75 percent), Luzon (70 percent), and Mindanao (61 percent) than in Metro Manila (47 percent).

The Pulse Asia survey results came at the heels of the government’s report that the inflation rate in July reached a 17-year high of 12.2  percent. The June figure was 11.4 percent.
Another survey by the Social Weather Station commissioned by Rep. Danilo Suarez, an Arroyo supporter, said Arroyo’s satisfaction rating drastically plunged further in just less than a month. The survey on the satisfaction ratings of selected officials – which included Suarez’ – showed that 17 percent of the espondents are satisfied with the President’s performance while 67 percent were dissatisfied, or a net rating of negative 50.
This means that the President’s rating has plunged by 12 points, from the negative 38 that SWS recorded from June 27-30 which found that only 22 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the President’s
performance while 60 percent were dissatisfied.

The survey also showed 24 percent are cutting back on their rice consumption or spending, while 55 percent said they are reducing expenditures on other food items.

More Filipinos are also cutting back on their spending for transportation or fuel (32 percent) which is five percentage points higher than in March (19 percent), and on liquefied petroleum gas (31 percent) which is 1 percentage lower than in the first quarter.

Filipinos also spent less for electricity (53 percent in July and 59 percent in March), cellphone loads (22 percent from 28 percent), water (18 percent from 28 percent), education (14 percent from 16 percent) and
medicines and other health needs (13 percent from 21 percent).

In a press conference, Suarez said among the survey’s thrusts is finding out if the people want the six-year term of the President and the Vice President reduced to five. The results, he said, showed an affirmative
56 percent and a negative 46 percent.

The results also showed 63 percent are against extending the term of office of congressmen and local officials for another two years, or from three years to five years.

The conduct of the survey could be interpreted as a means to find out if the people are amenable to the five-year term for key leaders, which is one of the “features” of a proposal to shift to a parliamentary form of
government.

Vice President Noli de Castro recorded a +30 net satisfaction rating (58 percent satisfied against 28 percent dissatisfied); Senate President Manuel Villar, +57 (71 percent and -14 percent) dissatisfied; Speaker
Prospero Nograles, -16 (25 percent and -41 percent); Chief Justice Reynato Puno, +5 (37 percent and -32 percent); and neophyte Sen. Francis Escudero, +64 percent (75 percent and -11 percent).
At the bottom of the list were Suarez with -8 satisfaction rating (22 percent against 30 percent) and minority leader Ronaldo Zamora who got a -3 (27 percent against 30 percent).

The survey also showed that the Senate topped the satisfaction ratings of selected government institutions with a +15 mark (47 percent satisfied against 32 dissatisfied) followed by the Supreme Court with a
+8 (43 percent and -35 percent) and the House which got a 0 net rating (37 percent and -38 percent).
The Bureau of Customs got the lowest satisfaction rating with -15 percent (28 percent satisfied against -44 percent dissatisfied); Court of Tax Appeals with -10 percent (31 percent and -41 percent), the
Cabinet, -8 percent (33 percent and -41 percent), Department of Finance, -7 percent (31 percent and – 39 percent) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue with -3 percent (37 percent against -40 percent).
The survey also showed that overall satisfaction rating in the government was -24 percent (28 percent against -52 percent) On whether the Philippine economy was progressing, 63 percent disagreed,
23 percent agreed, while 13 percent remained undecided for a net satisfaction rating of -40 percent.

It also found out that 49 percent of the respondents agreed that the people have to pay more taxes to expect improved public services against 36 percent who disagreed and the 15 percent who were undecided, which
totals to a net rating of +13.

Suarez said he commissioned the survey as an additional input to the studies of the oversight committee which annually assesses the government’s performance.

He stressed that the survey also confirmed the people’s support for a five-year term for elected officials.

Suarez also quoted his committee’s report that that “collection performance suffers a dive during election years. This decline is evident six months prior to elections.”

“If frequent elections are held, the collection of revenues and consequently the balancing the budget objective are greatly affected,” said the report.

Suarez said his panel’s findings were validated by the BIR and the Bureau of Customs.

Popularity: unranked [?]