FILIPINOS GIVE ARROYO A FAILING GRADE

FILIPINOS GIVE ARROYO A FAILING GRADE

If President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were to receive a report card from Filipinos, she would find that most of them will give her a failing grade, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.

Majority of 1,379 respondents to the IBON July 2005 nationwide survey gave Arroyo a failing grade in the following aspects of her governance: the economy, livelihood creation, peace and order, peace talks, foreign relations, national unity, combating corruption, and social welfare. A failing grade means less than 75.

In terms of her overall performance, the respondents gave Arroyo a mean grade of 72.

According to IBON, aside from the people’s perception of widespread corruption in the government and the current political instability, Pres. Arroyo’s failing grade was due to the implementation of policies that resulted to skyrocketing prices of basic goods and services.

For example, Pres. Arroyo’s continued adherence to oil deregulation despite widespread calls to regulate the industry means that government cannot intervene to alleviate onerous oil price hikes caused by profiteering of the oil companies. Hence, the average price of petroleum products has already reached P23.60 per liter in the first quarter of 2005 or 23% higher than the whole-year average in 2004. It is also 300% more than in 1996 when deregulation was implemented.

The Arroyo government’s implementation of energy sector privatization under the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPIRA) has also resulted in spiraling costs of electricity. Because of unbundling mandated under EPIRA, the National Power Corporation (Napocor) monthly effective rate in the Luzon grid for June 2005 reached P4.41, almost 70% higher than the P2.60 rate for the same period last year.

In the face of unreasonable increases in the prices of basic commodities and stagnant wages, Arroyo has also refused to use government’s power to implement price controls and alleviate the ordinary Filipinos’ burden. Hence, the average price of pandesal has gone up 14% between 2001 and 2004, galunggong by 6%, fresh beef by 18% and Baguio cooking oil by 56 percent. Even the poor Filipinos’ standby of Lucky Me instant noodles increased its price by 17 percent.

As she prepares once again to proclaim her achievements during her State of the Nation Address (SONA), IBON advises Pres. Arroyo to consider these factors that led to most Filipinos’ perception that she has failed to fulfill her duties as president. (end)