Pulse Asia: 54% approve of VP Duterte’s performance; 49% disapprove of President Marcos

Vice President Sara Duterte maintained majority approval and trust ratings in September 2026, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. saw higher disapproval and distrust, according to the latest survey by Pulse Asia Research Inc.

The September 2026 Ulat ng Bayan survey revealed a stark contrast in how Filipinos view the nation’s top two leaders.

Duterte secured a 54% performance approval rating for the previous quarter, with 27% disapproving and 18% undecided.

She also posted a 55% trust rating, against 27% who expressed distrust and 19% who were undecided.

Conversely, 49% of respondents disapproved of President Marcos’ performance, compared to 30% who approved and 21% who remained undecided.

Distrust in the President reached nearly half of respondents at 48%, while 29% expressed trust and 22% were undecided.

Geographic and Socioeconomic Breakdown

Marcos failed to secure a majority approval rating across any geographic region or socioeconomic class. Disapproval of his performance was highest in Mindanao (71%), Class E (66%), the Visayas (57%), Class D (48%), and Metro Manila (45%).

His strongest support came from the rest of Luzon, where 42% approved versus 36% who disapproved. Among Class ABC, opinions were tightly split, with 37% approving and 39% disapproving.

Distrust mirrored these trends, reaching majorities or near-majorities in Mindanao (66%), the Visayas (60%), Class E (55%), Class D (48%), and Metro Manila (45%).

Duterte, meanwhile, commanded strong majorities in her strongholds:

• Mindanao: 91% approval, 94% trust

  
  

• Visayas: 58% approval, 57% trust

  
  

• Class E: 68% approval, 69% trust

  
  

• Classes ABC & D: Approval ranged from 50% to 53%, while trust ranged between 53% and 58%.

In Metro Manila, Duterte’s scores were divided, recording a 42% tie in approval/disapproval and a 43%–41% split on trust versus distrust. In the rest of Luzon, 37% approved and trusted her, while 39% disapproved and 38% distrusted her.

Shifts since July 2026

While overall ratings remained largely stable compared to July 2026, notable socioeconomic shifts occurred for the President:

Class ABC: Marcos gained ground, with approval climbing 17 percentage points and disapproval dropping by 19 points. His distrust rating in this group also fell by 16 points.

Class E: Disapproval of Marcos worsened, surging by 14 percentage points.

Mindanao: Distrust in Marcos dropped by 11 percentage points, though indecision over his trustworthiness rose by the same margin.

For Duterte, ratings remained virtually unchanged, with her trust rating among Class D falling by 5 percentage points as the only statistically significant shift.

Methodology

The face-to-face survey was conducted from Sept. 17 to 24, 2026, among 2,400 adults aged 18 and above.

It carries a ±2% margin of error at a 95% confidence level, with subnational margins of error for Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao at ±4%.

-Paraluman News