Marcos Jr isn’t nearly as popular as previously

By Richard Javad Heydarian

“My suggestion for the president is to crack the whip with his Cabinet, especially the poorly performing members of the Cabinet who do not help but are instead harming the president,” said Senator Miguel Zubiri, a key ally of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

His advice for a shake-up comes amid an authoritative opinion survey that showed all top Filipino officials suffering significant declines in their approval ratings amid a dismal economic situation.

In the latest Pulse Asia survey conducted from September 10-14, Marcos Jr, who was catapulted to power with a historic electoral mandate in 2022, saw his approval ratings plunge from 80% in June to 65% in September.

His Vice President, Sara Duterte, whose father maintained sky-high approval ratings throughout his six-year term in office, saw her approval ratings drop by 11% from 84% to 73% over the same period. Senate President Zubiri’s ratings were down from 56% to 50%.

Among the poorest Filipinos, Marcos Jr’s numbers dropped by a staggering 29%, while similar reversals were also registered among upper-to-middle voters.

Shockingly, this places Marcos Jr, who won the greatest share of votes ever in contemporary Philippine elections, well behind his two immediate predecessors, Rodrigo Duterte (80%) and Benigno Aquino (77%), who enjoyed far higher approval ratings at this phase in their presidency.

By all indications, Marcos Jr’s political honeymoon is over. Rising food prices have been the biggest factor behind the Philippine government’s plunging approval ratings, while investors are souring on the Southeast Asian nation’s prospects.

Confronting growing domestic troubles, the Filipino president is expected to take more decisive measures, not only in dealing with economic troubles at home but also on the foreign policy front amid festering disputes with China. After all, surveys have consistently shown that a super-majority of Filipinos want the government to take a tougher stance on the maritime disputes.

“Not surprising”, Ferdinand Marcos Jr lamented, when asked about his collapsing approval ratings. The embattled Filipino president said he “completely understands” the Filipino people’s sentiments as persistent food inflation compounds poverty and hunger rates across the country.

Across the board, public approval of his administration dipped on urgent national issues. As many as 56% of Filipinos disapproved of the government’s handling of inflation, compared to just 31% back in June. Throughout the past year, inflation (74%) consistently ranked as the most urgent concern for voters, followed by wages (49%) and job creation (27%).

“Not surprising”, Ferdinand Marcos Jr lamented, when asked about his collapsing approval ratings. The embattled Filipino president said he “completely understands” the Filipino people’s sentiments as persistent food inflation compounds poverty and hunger rates across the country.

Across the board, public approval of his administration dipped on urgent national issues. As many as 56% of Filipinos disapproved of the government’s handling of inflation, compared to just 31% back in June. Throughout the past year, inflation (74%) consistently ranked as the most urgent concern for voters, followed by wages (49%) and job creation (27%).

“Apparently, there’s been very little effort for us to tell our story. And for them, they want to hear us, and know more about our prospects,” the Philippine economic planning chief lamented, referring to his disheartening experience in wealthy regions such as the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, international institutions have also been slashing the Philippines’ growth forecast for this year amid weakening consumption on the back of food inflation. One particular ace for the Filipino president, however, is high public support for his foreign policy, including among opposition groups.

A Pulse Asia survey earlier this year showed that as many as 84% of Filipinos shared Marcos Jr’s commitment to enhancing defense ties with the US amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

A more recent survey showed that as many as 51% of Filipinos distrust China, underscoring the popularity of Marcos Jr’s increasingly tough stance against the Asian powerhouse.

As a result, the Filipino president is under growing pressure to press his country’s claims in the disputed areas and stand up to China’s perceived bullying.

Yet, this also raises the risk of unwanted escalation and a potential conflict Manila could lose as Beijing shows no signs of backing down in the face of a more assertive Philippines backed by foreign allies.

Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on X, formerly Twitter, at @Richeydarian