Dr. Adrian Tamayo of UM-IPO in a press conference on Monday, July 9, at the SM City Davao. (Robby Joy D. Salveron/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte failed on a few items of his promises according to a survey participated by residents in Davao City.
In a recently conducted performance evaluation survey by the Institute of Popular Opinion of the University of Mindanao, Duterte received a failing grade in his effort to solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila and the internet access in the country.
The survey was conducted on May 17-26 to 1,200 respondents all over the city using specific-oriented questionnaires.
Out of the 18 common promises made by Duterte, the item “improve internet connectivity and access” got a failing rate of 72.15, the lowest among all items. Meanwhile, Duterte got a low grade on solving the traffic congestion in Metro Manila with a grade of 76.15 percent.
Dr. Adrian Tamayo of UM-IPO said in a press conference on Monday, July 9, at the SM City Davao, there are initiatives to improve access points of internet in the country, but he emphasized that “access point” is different from speed.
“What we have is a problem of speed. It’s a laggard actually compared to all Asian neighbors,” Tamayo said.
According to the 2016 fourth quarter “State of the Internet” report by Akamai Technologies, Inc., the Philippines has the slowest internet speed among the Asia-Pacific countries having only 4.5 megabits per second (mbps).
Tamayo added that although the distribution is becoming competitive, there is still a need to improve the present condition.
“How we get it is still an oligopoly, to some degree a monopoly. We are getting our internet from outside, which is still controlled by few firms. The distribution perhaps, really differs,” Tamayo said.
Tamayo said the item had a low score because that is what most of the people experience every day. He added that one solution is to “arrest the market condition” for internet.
For Duterte’s promise to “solve problem of traffic in Manila”, Tamayo said, although the President got a rate of 76.15, the rate could still be considered a failing grade with a ±3 margin.
“It’s a passing rate, but using the margin of error it would fail. We could claim that way,” Tamayo said.
He said: “If translated to academic scale, this is barely a passing score.”
Tamayo claimed that to some degree, the item, somehow, earned a low score since Davaoeños are not particular with the situation in Manila. However, he said, the “traffic condition come in resemblance with what the city is having now.”
“Although it’s a question of the traffic in Manila, yet it is an impression on the ability of the government, of the current administration to solve the traffic problem that is why somehow, someway, it is 76,” Tamayo said.
Based on the 2017 mid-year Traffic Index by Numbeo, Manila ranked 9th among the cities to have worst traffic conditions in the world.
Despite the failure on two items, Davaoeños still believe that Duterte fulfilled most of his promises during the campaign period last year.
The survey states that, in general, the public’s approval and overall performance rating was recorded at 89.38 percent, an indication that most of Duterte’s campaign promises are being fulfilled.
Duterte’s efforts on pushing federalism as a form of government in the country tops the rating with 96.21, while his “war on drugs” got 90.11 percent, followed by his effort to “end corruption in the government” with 88.14 percent.
Other promises, such as economic performance measures, were also rated with a passing rate.
“For the Dabawenyos, President Duterte is really doing a good job. Although it is not a euphoric type of response because the President failed in some items,” Tamayo said.
The survey also cited several “performance drivers” to further improve approval ratings namely: rolling out of local laws to become national, massive anti-corruption campaign in the government, improvement of the internet speed and accessibility, final solution to drug problem, family planning, wages and equipment of police and military, suspension of the previous land reform, solution to Manila traffic and end labor contractualization.
The survey was conducted on May 17-26 to 1,200 respondents all over the city using specific-oriented questionnaires.(davaotoday.com)
