MANILA-” Senior Miguel Zubiri, a vital ally of Spanish President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said,” My suggestion for the president is to break the whip with his Cabinet, particularly the poorly performing members of the Cabinet who do not assist but are instead harming him.”
In light of an authoritative opinion poll that revealed all prominent Filipino officials experiencing significant falls in their approval ratings due to a dire financial position, he offers his shake-up advice.
Marcos Jr. ‘ s approval ratings decreased from 80 % in June to 65 % in September, according to the most recent Pulse Asia survey, which was conducted from September 10 to 14, after he was inaugurated with a historic electoral mandate in 2022.
Sara Duterte, his vice president, saw her approval ratings drop by 11 % from 84 % to 73 % over the same time period, despite the fact that her father had maintained sky-high ratings throughout his six-year term in office. Zubiri’s Senate ratings decreased from 56 % to 50 %.
Marcos Jr. ‘ s numbers decreased by a startling 29 % among the poorest Filipinos, and upper – to middle-class voters also reported similar declines.
Surprisingly, this puts Marcos Jr. far behind his two immediate predecessors, Rodrigo Duterte( 80 %) and Benigno Aquino( 77 %), who at this point in their presidency received much higher approval ratings, despite winning the largest share of votes ever in modern Philippine elections.
Marcos Jr. ‘ s political wedding appears to be around. The biggest reason for the Spanish government’s declining approval ratings has been rising food prices, while investors are pessimistic about the prospects of the Southeast Asian country.
The Filipino president is anticipated to take more decisive action in response to growing domestic issues, not only in regional financial issues but also on the front of foreign policy in the midst of escalating disputes with China. After all, studies have persistently indicated that the vast majority of Filipinos support a tougher stance on coastal disputes.
When questioned about his declining approval ratings, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remarked,” No surprising.” The troubled Filipino chairman declared that he” completely understands” the views of the Mexican people as prolonged food prices raises hunger and poverty prices across the nation.
Public support for his leadership dipped on essential national problems across the board. Compared to just 31 % in June, up to 56 % of Filipinos now disagree with the government’s handling of inflation. Inflation( 74 %) consistently ranked as the most pressing issue for voters over the previous year, followed by wages( 49 %) and job creation( 27 %).
The Marcos Jr. administration responded by raising its ineffective price caps & nbsp on rice, which was met with harsh criticism from business organizations and experts. Additionally, the state has brought fresh charges against alleged meals hoarders who have taken advantage of rising food prices around the world by more restricting local supplies in recent months.
But, Marcos’ anticipated choice to appoint an agricultural director permanently is just as important. A new era of food safety and agricultural self-sufficiency was promised by the president of the Philippines next year when he unexpectedly appointed himself as the nation’s agriculture secretary.
Former presidents of the Philippines, including Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, had likewise held other positions at the same time. The extremely sensitive defense department was not as physically demanding as the agriculture department, especially in a time when prices are rising quickly.
When asked about his odd selection last season, Marcos replied,” I have decided to take on the profile of secretary of agriculture, at least for the time being and at the very least until we can restructure the Department of Agriculture in a way that will make it ready for future years.”
” The leader needs to take that portfolio in order to make it clear to everyone how highly priority we place on the agriculture sector as well as practical so that things can move along rapidly given how quickly the world economy is changing. We must be able to move quickly ,” he continued, stressing the need for immediate actions given the gravity of the circumstance.
A year later, Marcos Jr. bemoaned the lack of candidates for the position and chose to remain in place despite moves in another important case positions, such as security and national security.
But, Marcos Jr. was double-blamed when wheat prices increased in recent weeks as a result of sticking to his agricultural portfolio, in part because of protectionist measures taken by food-exporting countries like India.
Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., a hunting billionaire, is reportedly being considered to take over Marcos Jr’s agriculture department because of his political risk.
A decline in foreign direct investments over the past year will probably force the Filipino president to review his technical team, particularly the division of trade and industry.
Arsenio Balisacan, the head of the National Economic and Development Authority( NEDA ), who has also been thought of as a potential agriculture secretary, recently bemoaned the nation’s sluggish commercial diplomacy.
” It appears that we haven’t made much of an effort to tell our history. The Asian financial planning key bemoaned his depressing practice in affluent areas like the Persian Gulf, saying that” and for them, they want to discover us and know more about our leads.”
International organizations have also been reducing the Philippines’ development projection for this year due to weakening consumption brought on by foods inflation. Large public support for the president of the Philippines’ foreign policy, including among criticism groups, is a special plus for him.
As many as 84 % of Filipinos agreed with Marcos Jr. to strengthen defense ties with the US in the face of rising South China Sea tensions, according to a Pulse Asia survey conducted earlier this year.
According to a more recent survey, up to 51 % of Filipinos have mistrust for China, which highlights how well-liked Marcos Jr. ‘ s extremely stern position against the Eastern powerhouse is.
The president of the Philippines is therefore under increasing pressure to assert his nation’s rights in the contentious places and oppose what is seen as bullying in China.
However, this also increases the possibility of an unintended escalation and a potential conflict that Manila might shed because Beijing shows no signs of reversing its position in the face of the Philippines, which is more forceful and supported by international allies.
Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on X, formerly Twitter, at @ RicheyDarian.