Can Philippines’ Marcos Jnr recover from lower approval ratings by leaning closer to the US?

The president’s approval and trust ratings plunged by 13 percentage points and 16 percentage points to 55 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively, in the first quarter of 2024, according to a non-commissioned quarterly survey by Pulse Asia. The results were a reversal from the fourth quarter of last year when his ratings rose marginally.

The survey released on Wednesday by the private pollster, which had previously predicted Marcos Jnr’s 2022 landslide election win, was conducted with 1,200 respondents nationwide from March 10 to March 16 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 per cent.

“I think the cha-cha [charter change] bid and the travels affected his ratings,” Franco said.

The biggest rating declines came from the southern island of Mindanao, Metro Manila, and respondents in the poverty-stricken subgroup, according to the survey.

The results were not a surprise given the growing fissure between Marcos Jnr and the Duterte family, whose members remain highly popular in Mindanao, Franco said. “[Marcos] broke his promise” to help the poor in their financial difficulties, she added.

Prices of vegetables and other basic goods have recently stabilised, with some produce becoming cheaper due to the harvest season.

However, the price of rice remains high and Marcos Jnr has yet to make good on his election promise to bring it down to 20 pesos (US$0.35) per kilo. The Philippine Statistics Authority said well-milled rice retailed nationwide at 56.95 pesos per kilo on average last month.

The survey also showed a decline in Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s nationwide approval and trust ratings but not as much as for Marcos Jnr. Her approval and trust ratings dropped by seven percentage points each in the first quarter.

While