Most Filipino adults expressed distrust and disapproval toward President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while Vice-President Sara Duterte continued to enjoy modest majority support, the Pulse Asia 1st Quarter 2026 “Ulat ng Bayan” survey results released on Monday, March 16 showed.

The nationwide survey, conducted from Feb. 27 to March 2, through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults, showed that 44 percent of Filipinos distrusted the President, while 35 percent trusted him and 21 percent were undecided.

Disapproval of his recent work was slightly higher at 45 percent, compared with 36 percent who approved and 18 percent who remained undecided.

In contrast, the Vice-President earned the trust of 54 percent of adults, while 26 percent expressed distrust and 20 percent were undecided.

She also received a 55 percent approval rating for her work over the past three months, with 27 percent disapproving and 18 percent undecided.

Approval for President Marcos was highest in the rest of Luzon at 54 percent, while disapproval dominated in the Visayas (61 percent), Mindanao (73 percent), and among Class E respondents (60 percent).

Nearly half of Class D adults (47 percent) also disapproved of his work.

Metro Manila showed an even split, with both approval and disapproval at 42 percent, while Class ABC was divided with 41 percent approval, 30 percent disapproval, and 29 percent undecided.

The Vice-President fared better in most regions and classes.

She received majority approval in the Visayas (72 percent), Mindanao (95 percent), Class D (57 percent), and Class E (81 percent).

In Metro Manila, half of adults supported her work, but disapproval was higher in the rest of Luzon (44 percent) and among Class ABC (44 percent).

President Marcos received majority trust only in the rest of Luzon (54 percent).

Distrust was dominant among Visayans (61 percent), Mindanawons (77 percent), and Class E adults (64 percent), while Class D showed a plurality of distrust at 43 percent.

Metro Manila and Class ABC recorded similar trust and distrust levels, with slight plurality distrust (Metro Manila: 45 percent distrust versus 38 percent trust; Class ABC: 43 percent distrust versus 36 percent trust).

Vice-President Duterte was trusted by most Visayans (67 percent), Mindanawons (97 percent), and adults in Classes D and E (56 percent and 78 percent, respectively).

In Metro Manila, trust was a big plurality at 45 percent, but she faced plurality to near-majority distrust in the rest of Luzon (43 percent) and Class ABC (49 percent).

Compared with March 2025, President Marcos’ approval rose by 11 percentage points, while disapproval fell by eight points.

Trust in him increased by 10 points, with distrust easing by 10 points.

In contrast, Vice-President Duterte saw a seven-point drop in trust and a 10-point rise in distrust.

Some subgroup shifts were more pronounced, Pulse Asia said.

For example, disapproval of the President in Mindanao fell by 12 points, while appreciation for his work increased in Metro Manila (+17 points), the rest of Luzon (+19 points), Class ABC (+17 points), and Class D (+10 points).

Meanwhile, the Vice-President’s approval in Class E rose 20 points, though her approval in Class ABC dropped 24 points.

Distrust in the Vice-President increased significantly in Class ABC (+34 points) and the rest of Luzon (+21 points).

Pulse Asia said the survey had a ±2.8 percent margin of error nationwide and ±5.7 percent for subnational estimates, covering Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

It noted that its Ulat ng Bayan surveys are conducted independently and are not commissioned by any single party.