The magnificently boring results of another survey from Pulse Asia just came out. It did nothing but make official what each and every one of us here in this country knew all along in eight years or so.

ABS-CBN writes the headline:

1 out of 2 disapprove of PGMA’s performance

GMANews.tv on the other hand chose to label it:

Most Filipinos distrust, dissatisfied with Arroyo – survey

It essentially says that Gloria Arroyo’s approval ratings remained unchanged at 21% while her disapproval ratings terribly increased from 43% in August to 51% in October and her distrust ratings also rose from 42% in August  to 52% in October.

I am bored. Please present your harlem-dancing cat to amuse me.

What does it matter? She leaves office in seven months. The lady is practically a lameduck president. Any other mud thrown to her face wouldn’t take back all the lost years and all the lost chance this country would have had under her reign.

Define progress

Sure there were considerable “progress” — if you can call digging a perfectly fine road to accommodate “renovations” progress. The large billboard placed atop the “project” would tell you they are doing this for “progress” when you know for a fact that had they been truly efficient and thoughtful leaders, they would have installed larger and more efficient drainage systems in the first place. But because they were busy minding how much “kickback” they will get from using substandard materials and contracting corrupt builders, nobody cared if they’d have to dig in again year after year to accommodate “more progress”.

Now that the chances of leaving a legacy of peace is bleak and dismal — what with the botched BJE-MOA and all, Gloria Arroyo turns to rushed infrastructure to serve as edifices of her notorious (soon-to-be) nine-year reign.

Define results

The Palace was quick to dismiss the survey results as pure opinion — of course — it is after all, a survey. They’d rather dwell with “real” results and “impact” to our kababayans— so to speak. Now, I don’t exactly know what they mean by “real” results or impact.

If they are talking about impact of programs and services and well, “attention”, maybe the people of Pampanga will be happy to tell us their stories. After all, Arroyo’s been there about 50 times or more this year alone — giving this and that, supporting this and that, and inaugurating this and that. It sounds good and all, yes. But hey, Pampanga is not the only province needing help. Why channel all efforts, support, resources and energies there?

Regardless if she intends to try her luck as Pampanga representative after her term, she remains to this day, president of the entire republic and is duty-bound to serve the entire country without bias or favor to any region or province. Period.

Shallow accomplishments

Supporters and allies of Gloria Arroyo will brush off this survey and pride themselves with perceived accomplishments which in reality nothing but fulfills their duty, if at all. They put up billboards with their mugs plastered there as if to shout “you owe this road to me” or “this is actually an extra mile” when in fact, it is nothing but them (supposedly) doing their job and using taxpayer’s money. Why should your face be there? Are you a shadow mayor? A shadow representative? So much so that you actually have to put your face up there because your constituents hardly see you and therefore wouldn’t even match the person with the name if they bumped into you one fine day? It figures.

So where does Gloria Arroyo stand in all these? Can any more bad survey result do her any more harm?

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo is right this time when she “admitted that the poor ratings “would really have an impact” on administration bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and other candidates of ruling party Lakas-Kampi (Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino)-CMD in the 2010 polls”.

So there.

Half-empty and half-full

So you think seeing the glass as either half-empty or half-full, in the case of Gloria’s disapproval ratings depends on the kind of person you are — optimist or pessimist? Nope.

It depends on the kind of heart you have for this country. Half-empty? Half-full? Or both?

All is not lost

The 2010 elections mania is heating up. Many candidates will wear their hearts on their sleeves. They may put on wide smiles and extend warm hands in their quest to pocket your votes.

Do not let their smiles and handshakes distract you. Look out for the heart exposed in all its glory and splendor. It’s there for all to see. All you have to do is to take notice. But don’t stop there. Act.