Malacañang’s problem is governance

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s declining approval ratings have acquired a more serious political dimension with Vice President Sara Duterte reportedly leading a recent survey of potential candidates for the 2028 presidential election. For Malacañang, the numbers should be a warning. Unfortunately, the apparent response is another round of image management.

Replacing the Press Secretary—for the sixth time in four years—will accomplish little if the problem is not the messaging but the President himself.

No communications team can indefinitely disguise the consequences of questionable decisions, misplaced priorities and government initiatives that fail to address the daily struggles of ordinary Filipinos.

Consider the public reaction to advice about preparing for the Super El Niño by buying buckets to collect rainwater. Or the launch of the Yakap health caravan in Sulu, the President’s trip to Singapore to watch Formula One amid claims of investor meetings, and his warning to Senator Bato dela Rosa about the consequences of continuing to hide.

Each episode generates headlines, but headlines do not necessarily translate into public confidence.

The fundamental problem is that government appears more concerned with presenting a favorable image than demonstrating measurable improvements in people’s lives.

Filipinos want lower food prices, better wages, decent jobs, reduced poverty and reliable public transportation. They want hospitals that provide affordable treatment, schools that prepare children for employment and public services that work without excessive paperwork or unofficial payments.

These are not complicated demands. They are the basic obligations of government.

The dismay expressed by Filipinos returning from abroad is particularly revealing. They see how efficiently public systems can operate elsewhere and wonder why their own country continues to struggle with problems that have persisted for decades.

Some critics propose reducing government officials’ salaries to the minimum wage. The suggestion is more an expression of public anger than a practical reform proposal, but its popularity reflects a widening perception that political leaders enjoy privileges disconnected from ordinary citizens’ hardships.

Good governance should not require constant advertising. When public transportation runs efficiently, prices remain manageable, hospitals deliver quality care and government transactions are completed promptly, citizens experience the benefits without needing a publicity campaign.

That is the real measure of public approval.

Malacañang can appoint another spokesperson, commission another survey or launch another public-relations initiative. None will compensate for disappointing results.

A government earns public confidence by making life better, not by making itself look better.

Until that distinction becomes the administration’s guiding principle, changing the messenger will merely prolong the President’s image problem.