President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over the weekend said that the real measure of his government's success lies not in survey numbers but in the tangible improvements in the lives of the Filipino people.

In his recent vlog, Marcos reiterated that he is not concerned about the latest decline in his approval ratings as he is focused on ensuring stable rice prices and uninterrupted food supply for all Filipinos.

The latest Pulse Asia survey conducted in September showed that 65 percent of 1,200 respondents approved of Marcos' performance, a 15-point drop from 80 percent in a June poll.

Marcos clarified that while survey numbers are frequently discussed in the media, the focus of his administration remains on the fundamental issues affecting the citizens.

"We don't pay too much attention to survey numbers. What we are looking at is whether the price of rice is truly decreasing and whether the supply of rice is reaching all our citizens," he stated.

He pointed out the effectiveness of the price cap in stabilizing rice prices, leading to visible improvements in the affordability and accessibility of this essential commodity.

However, latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that rice inflation reached 17.9 percent in September, its highest level in 14 years, despite Marcos' efforts to rein down the skyrocketing costs.

Rice inflation hasn't risen over that mark since March 2009, when it reached a high of 22.9 percent. Inflation for rice in August of last year was only 8.7 percent.

This came as Marcos set a price cap of P45 for well-milled rice and P41 for regular milled rice nationwide effective 5 September, which lasted for nearly a month.

Marcos acknowledged the need for continued efforts for the public after the removal of the price cap.

"After removing the price cap, our next steps involve other strategies to help our farmers so that they don't suffer losses," Marcos said.

Marcos assured the public that his administration is dedicated to ensuring continuous stabilization and decrease in rice prices in the market.

"There is no other measure of our leadership than what we see today, the comfort and well-being of our people," he emphasized.