MANILA, Philippines — Opposition lawmakers said the results of a recent Pulse Asia survey on the main concerns of Filipinos show people are worried about their dire economic situation.
The September 2017 Ulat ng Bayan on “Urgent Local and National Concerns and Performance Ratings of the Duterte Administration on Selected Issues” showed rising cost of goods and the need to increase wages were the most pressing concerns of respondents.
Prices, wages most pressing Pinoy concerns as majority approve of govt response – Pulse Asia
“The rising cost of basic goods and services, as well as how the salaries of workers can be increased are still the real issues that the government have to address,” Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate said.
“Failing to address these issues, plus the added burden of new taxes next year, will only further dissipate the now eroding popularity of the Duterte administration,” he added.
Representative Tom Villarin of Akbayan said the survey “debunks the myth that meth occupies their topmost problem to be acted upon at the barangay level.”
“While drug use and addicts/pushers remain among the top three local problems, it is not the only problem,” he noted.
At the same time, he said the survey also showed signs of neglect in terms of local road infrastructure and flood control, which were most felt in the Visayas and Mindanao.
“It’s a wake-up call for President Duterte to engage more in local infrastructure building than mega infra projects under his build, build, build paradigm,” Villarin said.
Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat pointed out that the people’s major concerns are “gut issues” where “the Duterte administration is perceived by many as having failed so far.”
“It’s in the economic front where the government has received low marks. As we head towards the Christmas season, trust and satisfaction ratings of the admin will continue to fall commensurate to the escalation of prices of basic commodities,” Baguilat added.
