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Results of a June 5-8 survey among 1,200 adults nationwide — with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages and ±6 points each for Metro Manila, “Balance Luzon,” the Visayas, and Mindanao — found 55% (from 48% in March) of respondents satisfied, 24% (from 29%) dissatisfied, and 20% (from 23%) undecided.

The resulting “good” +31 net score is a grade and 12 points up from the “moderate” +19 garnered by the Aquino government in the first quarter.

The SWS classifies net satisfaction scores of +70 and above as “excellent;” +50 to +69 as “very good”; +30 to +49 as “good”; +10 to +29 as “moderate”; +9 to -9 as “neutral”; -10 to -29 as “poor”; -30 to -49 as “bad”; -50 to -69 as “very bad”; as well as -70 and below as “execrable.”

The survey group considers any movement from one classification to another as either an “upgrade” or a “downgrade.”

ACROSS CLASSES…
The marked improvement in performance of the national administration — recorded a little more than a month ahead of Mr. Aquino’s valedictory State of the Nation Address on July 27 — was driven by gains across socioeconomic classes and most geographical areas except Metro Manila, which recorded a negligible fall.

Going by economic class, the government’s rating rose by one grade in all classes except in class D or the masa.

Among those in class ABC, the rating of the Aquino government rose by a grade and 14 points to a “good” +33 in June from the “moderate” +19 in March.

The same gain was recorded among those in class E, which logged +38 from +24 previously.

While net satisfaction rating remained in “moderate” territory for class D, the score for this group still gained 11 points to +29 from +18.

… AND AREAS
The administration also saw gains across most geographical areas, compared to the March results.

Luzon areas outside Metro Manila saw the biggest improvement in net satisfaction score, gaining 21 points to a “moderate” +29 in June from a “neutral” +8 last March.

While the Visayas stayed in “good” territory, it saw the next-biggest improvement at nine points to +43 from +34 in the same comparative periods.

Mindanao jumped to “good” from “moderate,” with an eight-point rise to +34 from +26.

Only Metro Manila — the National Capital Region — faltered: staying “moderate” but slipping by three points to +18 from +21.

SWS also reported that, out of 20 issues monitored, the Aquino administration got net satisfaction ratings of “good” on six issues, “moderate” on five others, “neutral” on another five, “poor” on three, and “very bad” on one issue.

It also rose by one grade on three issues, remained steady on 15 others, and fell by a grade on two issues.

SPECIFIC ISSUES
Compared to the March survey, the administration scored some of its bigger improvements in “helping the poor,” “foreign relations,” “defending the country’s territorial rights” and “fighting terrorism.”

The same comparative surveys saw the national government fare worse in terms of “fighting crime” and “ensuring oil firms don’t take advantage of oil prices.”

Sought for comment on the government’s latest performance, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Edmund S. Tayao cited plus points from Manila’s perceived tenacity against China on their South China Sea territorial spat and the fact that the costly Jan. 25 anti-terrorist raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao is no longer foremost in the public’s mind.

Malacañang welcomed the national administration’s latest performance, with Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma, Jr. responding to questions in an e-mail: “We are committed to working even more intensively to carry out the reforms anchored on good governance and to address the clamor for justice.”

“We will also continue to listen and respond to feedback from our people on how government may improve the quality of delivery of frontline services.” — A. M. Monzon