Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Wednesday the decline in his performance ratings was “not surprising” amid the recent issue on high rice prices.
Marcos saw a 15-percentage point drop in his approval ratings, according to the latest survey by Pulse Asia conducted from Sept. 10 to 14. The polling firm attributed this to the president’s failure to achieve his campaign promise to lower the price of rice to ₱20 per kilogram.
READ: ₱20/kg rice promise contributed to drop in Marcos’ approval rating – Pulse Asia
Sought for his reaction, the president said he “completely understand[s] it.”
“It’s not surprising. People are having a hard time… Bigas ito (This is rice). It’s different from anything else, any other agricultural product,” Marcos said in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Taguig City.
“That’s why we’re doing all of these things to try and maintain the prices at a level that is affordable to our people,” he added.
Marcos showed optimism that the rice situation in the country would soon stabilize, reiterating that there is no problem with the supply. He previously put the blame on hoarders and smugglers for the elevated prices.
In the same briefing, Marcos announced the lifting of the price cap on rice following the recommendation from the trade and agriculture departments.
He said assistance to local producers and the poor would continue.
READ: Marcos lifts price ceiling on rice
