Pulse Asia’s “Ulat ng Bayan” survey conducted from Sept. 27 to 30 showed a decline in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trust and approval ratings, while Vice President Sara Duterte maintained majority trust despite a slight decrease 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).

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.

Public sentiment toward the Senate and the House of Representatives also weakened in the Pulse Asia survey in terms of performance.

Approval of the Senate’s performance slipped to 42 percent in September from 53 percent in June, while disapproval rose to 28 percent from 18 percent.

Similarly, approval for the House of Representatives dropped to 30 percent from 47 percent, while disapproval increased to 34 percent from 21 percent.

Pulse Asia noted that disapproval became more pronounced across most regions and social classes.

In the Senate, approval ratings decreased sharply in Metro Manila (-27 points), the Visayas (-17 points), and Class D (-15 points).

Disapproval rose in Metro Manila (+13 points), Visayas (+12 points), Mindanao (+15 points), Class D (+9 points), and Class E (+17 points).

Across areas and socioeconomic groupings, a near majority of Visayans (47 percent) expressed approval of the Senate’s performance.

It registered nearly the same approval and disapproval levels in Mindanao (44 percent vs. 41 percent), Class ABC (47 percent versus 33 percent), and Class E (47 percent versus 32 percent).

In the rest of Luzon and Class D, opinion was evenly split, while Metro Manila residents were divided three ways—37 percent approval, 36 percent indecision, and 27 percent disapproval.

The House of Representatives fared similarly. Its approval rating dropped sharply in Metro Manila (-31 points), Visayas (-16 points), Mindanao (-33 points), Class D (-18 points), and Class E (-18 points).

Disapproval became more pronounced in Metro Manila (+20 points), Mindanao (+33 points), Class D (+11 points), and Class E (+24 points).

A majority of respondents in Mindanao (56 percent) expressed disapproval of the House’s quarterly performance.

In the rest of Luzon, 34 percent approved while 42 percent were undecided, and among Class D respondents, 32 percent approved and 38 percent were undecided.