Gatchalian: Marcos' low satisfaction rating due to rising costs of goods

Senate President Win Gatchalian believes that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s low approval ratings are likely due to the rising costs of goods.

At least two reputable polling firms have recorded declining trust and approval ratings for Marcos, in contrast to Vice President Sara Duterte who retained a favorable disposition.

Gatchalian told Super Radyo dzBB reporter Nimfa Ravelo that this was likely due to the rising cost of goods as prices of fuel and energy spiked in recent weeks.

“Direct hit sa sikmura ng tao. Ako naniniwala, ang tao, mas importante sa kanila sikmura kaysa sa politika. So ‘yon ang dapat na focus ng pangulo,” Gatchalian said.

(It is a direct hit to people’s stomachs. I believe that for people, being fed is more important than politics. So that should be the focus of the president.)

Slowing economy

Gatchalian, who used to chair the Senate Committee on Finance, also noted the economic slowdown this past year as the government’s decreased spending on infrastructure amid corruption controversies.

“‘Pag nagkakaroon ng ganitong massive corruption, ang knee-jerk reaction ng gobyerno, huwag gumastos. Kasi takot lahat,” Gatchalian said.

(When there is massive corruption, the knee-jerk reaction of the government is to not spend. Because everyone is scared.)

One of the ways to reinvigorate the economy is to speed up infrastructure spending again, Gatchalian said. However, this must be done with the proper reforms to ensure that there is no repeat of the flood control scam.

Gatchalian said that they told the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to ensure that the budget they pass to Congress is already "clean."

To recall, the Senate and the House reached a deadlock in 2025 over the DPWH’s budget, delaying the bicameral conference committee. The senators wanted to cut P45 billion from the agency’s budget, citing the inflated costs of infrastructure budgets. The DPWH would concede that the data they based the budget on was insufficient.

The Senate President said that he expected Marcos to tackle reforms during his upcoming State of the Nation Address. —VAL, GMA News