Project description:

To mark President Rodrigo Duterte’s third year in office – halfway into his administration – the Rappler Research Team compiled various data to assess his midterm performance and presented it through charts and graphs all in one story. It covered 8 major areas: economy, his administration’s “war on drugs,” criminality, infrastructure, employment, poverty, his approval ratings, and the Philippines’ standing in certain world rankings. The data also included those recorded during previous administrations, for a more comprehensive comparison.

Impact reached:

The story showed that the Duterte administration’s record so far is a mixed bag of successes and controversies. Experts interviewed by Rappler for this story also provided context into each metric, beyond the numbers and graphs.

Techniques/technologies used:

The data for this story were processed using Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. The graphs were then created using DataWrapper and Flourish. A few sets of graphs were created using Adobe.

What was the hardest part of this project?

The hardest part is getting historical data from previous administrations. Many of the datasets are from the 2010s and the 2000s, readily available, and thus easier to process. But some data especially during the 1990s and 1980s would take a longer time to request and process for inclusion into the graphs for analysis.

What can others learn from this project?

Through this story, readers can glean how to properly compare any administration’s achievements. It should not be just during the current administration or just with the immediately preceding one. As much as possible, wider time periods should be included, so that the current administration can be compared against previous ones more broadly.

Project links:

www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/charts-numbers-midterm-duterte-administration

www.rappler.com/rich-media/233500-duterte-year-3-halfway-mark