ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trust and approval ratings have taken a nosedive in Mindanao, drawing increased scrutiny towards the performance of key regional officials, including Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chairperson Leo Tereso Magno.
This shift in public sentiment has prompted questions about the administration’s impact on the ground, but Magno remains adamant that the Marcos administration has done more for Mindanawons those of former President Rodrigo Duterte and Benigno Aquino Jr.
“We have the numbers. The numbers show that this administration has been providing and giving more to Mindanao than the previous (administrations),” Magno said during an interview at the sidelines of the 10th BIMP-EAGA Socio-Cultural and Education (SCE) Cluster Meeting here.
This was Magno’s direct response when confronted with reports of the President’s lagging survey numbers in Mindanao.
He asserted that the current administration has “spent more on education, has spent more on infrastructure and has spent more on agriculture and on other aspects” than “the previous and previous administrations combined.”
This response, while aiming to underscore progress, was interpreted by some observers as a deflection from the core issue of the President’s diminishing public trust, effectively diminishing the accomplishments of preceding administrations.
This particular line of argument from Magno is interesting given his own extensive history in public service, which spans multiple administrations. His career includes significant roles such as Regional Executive Director of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in 1998 (during the Estrada/Arroyo administrations) and Administrator and Vice Chairman of PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority in 2010 (during the Arroyo/Aquino administrations), before his current appointments under President Marcos Jr.
This background adds a layer of complexity to his comparisons of administrative performance, as he himself was part of the government machinery during some of the periods he now contrasts.
Assessing the veracity of broad claims about “more projects” or “more spending” across multiple administrations can be challenging without comprehensive, comparable data sets. Historical data indicates that the Duterte administration, preceding Marcos Jr.’s, notably increased infrastructure spending to over 6% of GDP, a level described by the Department of Budget and Management as unprecedented at the time, significantly surpassing the 3.0% of GDP recorded under the Aquino administration.
While the Marcos Jr. administration has continued to prioritize infrastructure and has allocated substantial budgets to sectors like education (e.g., PHP 1.05 trillion in the 2025 national budget), a definitive, quantitative comparison of total spending or project output “combined” against two full previous administrations remains a complex task, and such detailed, independently verifiable data to support Magno’s sweeping claim is not readily available.
MinDA, under Magno, has reported various initiatives, including efforts to boost the Halal industry, integrate Mindanao into the BIMP-EAGA, and support peacebuilding through programs like the institutionalization of the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development (NAP-UPDev).
Despite these stated efforts and claims of increased investment, independent surveys reflect a challenging reality for the current administration in Mindanao. Pulse Asia’s March 2024 survey indicated a significant 32-point drop in President Marcos Jr.’s trust rating in the region. Further, a September 2024 Pulse Asia poll showed his lowest satisfaction and trust ratings nationally originating from Mindanao (26% satisfaction, 21% trust). The Social Weather Stations (SWS) December 2024 survey similarly reported a notable decline in trust in Mindanao, with “Much Trust” falling from 50% in July to 33% in December.
The tension between official pronouncements of progress and the public’s evident dissatisfaction, particularly in a crucial region like Mindanao, underscores the multifaceted challenges facing the Marcos Jr. administration.
Magno’s emphasis on statistical achievements and his diversion from the direct question about the President’s declining popularity, while perhaps intended to highlight positive developments, appears to have done little to stem the tide of declining approval. This suggests a potential disconnect between the metrics of progress cited by officials and the tangible improvements sought by Mindanawons, raising questions about the effectiveness of MinDA’s current leadership in bolstering, or at least not hindering, the President’s standing in Mindanao. (Godofredo L. Manliguez/PR)
