The OFW Vote: 87% Vote Duterte in Illustrado Filipino Expat Poll Across 92 Countries

The OFW Vote: 87% Vote Duterte in Illustrado Filipino Expat Poll Across 92 Countries

Dubai, 20^th December 2015:  Rodrigo Duterte has topped a Filipino expat presidential election survey with a landslide 87%.  The online survey conducted from the 15^th to the 20^th December 2015 by Illustrado Magazine – a Filipino lifestyle-community publication based in Dubai, UAE had 5,000 respondents, composed mainly of OFWs/Balikbayans (82%) from over 92 countries around the world.

Top 15 countries UAE, KSA, Singapore, Canada, USA, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Bahrain, Australia, Oman, China, Malaysia, UK and New Zealand comprised 72% of votes, with the biggest groups of participants coming from the UAE (19%) and KSA (18%).

Eighty six percent of respondents are registered voters, out of which 84% intend to vote in the 2016 Philippine elections.

The survey focused on the five most talked-about candidates Rodrigo Duterte, Mar Roxas, Miriam Santiago, Jejomar Binay and include Grace Poe, in case she would be allowed to run.  Registered voters selected Duterte as the top choice (87%).  Santiago trailed at second with 7%, and Mar Roxas at third place with 4%.  Poe and Binay both garnered 1%.

When asked about their most important consideration for choosing a President, 38% of respondents chose discipline/strong rule, 25% track record, 18% ability to facilitate real change, and 13% honest and will not be corrupted.

The survey which also delved into voters’ perceptions of each candidate reveals that Duterte and Santiago topped the positive association category.  Respondents associated the two candidates with the attributes of – trusted/reliable track record (88% Duterte – 31% Santiago), honest (89% Duterte – 31% Santiago), potential to facilitate change (92% Duterte – 23% Santiago), discipline/strong rule (93% Duterte – 20% Santiago 20%), democratic (64% Duterte – 33% Santiago 33%), sympathy to people’s issues (87% Duterte – Santiago 23%).

Inversely, Roxas, Binay and Poe topped the negative association category as follows:  bad for the country (78% Roxas – 42% Binay), corrupt (67% Roxas – 59% Binay), inept (84% Roxas – 24% Binay), weak (78% Roxas – 40% Poe), insensitive to people’s needs (88% Roxas – 21% Binay), tyrant (64% Roxas – 25% Binay).  Poe was considered inexperienced by 67% of respondents.

In terms of issues of concern, 91% of respondents share that corruption in the government should be the top priority of the next Philippine President.  Other top priorities chosen are 70% crime, 51% economy, 42% peace and 35% each for education, disaster response and management, and traffic.

View complete survey results here – https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-9LXQHW3J/

Ends –

For information on the survey and Illustrado Magazine, kindly e-mail us at: [email protected] or call us at: 00971 4 365 4543.

ABOUT ILLUSTRADO MAGAZINE

Illustrado is a social enterprise devoted to the upliftment of Filipinos in the Gulf and around the world.  The monthly magazine “Illustrado” has served to celebrate the talents and achievements of Filipinos around the globe, connect communities, and provide Filipinos a window to the world, while playing the role of de facto ambassadors of goodwill for the Philippines, since it was launched in Dubai in 2006.

The slogan “Taas Noo, Filipino!” and the mission of “Helping the Filipino Flourish – Global Vision, Native Soul” define the substance, style and corporate ethos that is the basis for our Illustrado’s endeavors which speak to a wide range of audiences – regardless whether they are domestic helpers, professionals, business owners or investors.

Illustrado’s advocacies also include initiatives such as Women of Substance and Pinays Take Charge – sister projects dedicated to promote the empowerment of Filipinas in the Gulf.  The company also actively supports the Filipino creative community, providing talents a platform to showcase their work via the magazine and other worthwhile community projects.