The survey results are out, showing President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s rating in negative territory, highlighting the urgent need for action.

Marcos Jr. is the first Philippine president in history to enter negative ratings territory two years before the presidential polls. This alarming trend should concern all citizens, as it signals potential risks for our democracy and future leadership.

The Social Weather Surveys (SWS) results show that nearly half of the population disagrees with how Marcos Junior is running the government. This may still change depending on several factors.

First, Marcos Junior must personally address stagflation. Although the government has not yet officially acknowledged it, the president himself identified it as a serious matter weeks ago.

Oil and energy costs are key factors influencing inflation, and the government must act to lower oil prices despite existing agencies’ limitations.

Marcos Junior must stomp his feet on the ground and meet with oil companies to at least manage their greed. Other countries in the region are not raising their pump prices. Still, here, every week, everybody seems anxious about how much oil firms will raise their prices. Not only are transport firms being affected by this, but even small and medium-sized enterprises are also raising a big howl, and nobody in government seems willing to help them.

Second, widespread corruption, especially in frontline agencies, is rapidly eroding public trust and confidence in government. Corruption is nonstop because no one seems politically strong enough to bring these corrupt bureaucrats into line. Blame politics for this. With the administration’s flagging survey and trust ratings and the ongoing seesaw war between this administration and pro-Duterte groups, unscrupulous individuals in government are exploiting this to their great advantage.

Marcos Jr. should reassert his political authority by removing corrupt officials and appointing honest public servants to restore trust and effectiveness.

Several other things make our country sick, but for this article, I’ll limit it to two.

Marcos has been given significant constitutional authority to effect meaningful change. Despite a mandate of just 33 percent, he still has the power to combat corruption and influence oil prices, and the public’s support can push him to do so.

It is a pity that in this era, when most, if not all, Filipinos have nearly forgotten the dark times created by our president’s father, the son who vowed to do better is himself stuck in a very chaotic situation.