Pulse Asia’s “Ulat ng Bayan” survey, conducted from Sept. 27 to 30, revealed a drop in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trust and approval ratings, while Vice President Sara Duterte continued to enjoy majority trust despite a slight dip in her performance score.
The survey, based on face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents and released on Thursday, Oct. 16, found that 34 percent of Filipinos trust President Marcos, while 45 percent expressed distrust. The remaining 21 percent were undecided.
The President’s trust rating fell from 39 percent in June, while distrust rose from 41 percent during the same period.
Across geographic areas, President Marcos continued to face mixed levels of public trust.
In Metro Manila, sentiment was split three ways, with 35 percent trusting him, 32 percent undecided, and 33 percent expressing distrust.
In the rest of Luzon, 54 percent said they trust the President, while 23 percent were undecidedand 23 percent expressed distrust.
However, distrust dominated in the Visayas and Mindanao, where 58 percent and 87 percent, respectively, said they do not trust the President.
By socioeconomic class, Class D (43 percent) and Class E (65 percent) registered plurality to majority distrust, while Class ABC respondents were almost evenly divided (39 percent trust versus 40 percent distrust).
Between June and September 2025, trust in President Marcos fell sharply in the Visayas (down 22 percentage points) and Mindanao (down 13 points), while distrust increased in these same areas by 19 and 18 points, respectively.
Ambivalence about the President’s trustworthiness also became more pronounced among Class D respondents (+7 points).
Meanwhile, Vice President Duterte registered a majority trust rating of 56 percent, with 23 percent undecided and 21 percent expressing distrust.
Her trust level increased by two percentage points from the previous quarter, though Pulse Asia noted the change falls within the survey’s ±2.8 percent margin of error, indicating that her trust rating remains statistically steady.
Duterte’s distrust rating declined from 27 percent.
Vice President Duterte continued to enjoy majority trust across most regions and socioeconomic classes.
Nearly all respondents in Mindanao (96 percent) said they trust her, along with 60 percent of Visayans.
Public opinion in Metro Manila was more divided (41 percent trust, 34 percent distrust), while in the rest of Luzon, views were split three ways (39 percent trust, 31 percent undecided, 30 percent distrust).
By socioeconomic class, Duterte earned majority trust among Class D (56 percent) and Class E (76 percent), while opinion was nearly even among Class ABC respondents (42 percent trust versus 36 percent distrust).
APPROVAL RATINGS
The September 2025 Pulse Asia survey also showed a decline in the approval ratings of both President Marcos and Vice President Duterte compared with the previous quarter.
Nationally, 33 percent of Filipinos approved of the President’s performance, down from 42 percent in June.
His disapproval rating climbed to 44 percent from 39 percent, while undecided increased to 23 percent from 19 percent.
Based on the results, the President failed to obtain majority approval in any geographic or socioeconomic subgroup.
Half of those in the rest of Luzon (50 percent) approved of his performance, but pluralities to overwhelming majorities in the Visayas (55 percent disapproval), Mindanao (83 percent disapproval), Class D (42 percent disapproval), and Class E (62 percent disapproval) were critical of his work.
In Metro Manila, opinions were almost evenly split, with 40 percent approval and 36 percent disapproval, while among Class ABC respondents, 39 percent approved and 40 percent disapproved.
From June to September, President Marcos’ approval scores declined in the Visayas (-18 points), Mindanao (-21 points), and Class D (-9 points).
Conversely, disapproval rose in the Visayas (+17 points), Mindanao (+17 points), and Class E (+18 points).
Ambivalence also became more apparent in Class D (+7 points).
Vice President Duterte’s performance rating also fell slightly, though she maintained a majority approval score nationwide.
In September 2025, 55 percent of Filipinos approved of her work, while 22 percent disapproved and 24 percent were undecided.
Her approval rating was down by four points from June, while ambivalence toward her performance rose by eight points.
Vice President Duterte registered the highest approval in Mindanao (97 percent), followed by the Visayas (56 percent), Class D (54 percent), and Class E (71 percent).
Plurality approval was observed in Metro Manila (42 percent), while opinions in the rest of Luzon were split (36 percent approval, 31 percent undecided, 32 percent disapproval).
From June to September 2025, Duterte’s approval rating declined in Metro Manila (-14 points) and ambivalence increased in Metro Manila (+13 points), the rest of Luzon (+12 points), and Class D (+10 points).
Her disapproval figures, however, remained mostly unchanged across regions. (Ellalyn Ruiz)
