Pulse Asia: Marcos Jr.’s Trust, Approval Ratings Slide in September

By Pulse Asia

While the Vice-President obtains a small majority approval rating in September 2025 (55%), disapproval is the plurality sentiment toward the President’s performance (44%); significant changes in these officials’ performance ratings occur between June 2025 and September 2025 

A big plurality of Filipino adults (44%) have a negative assessment of the work done by the President in the past quarter. Approval is more marked than indecision on the matter (33% versus 23%). On the part of the Vice-President, most adults are appreciative of her quarterly performance (55%). The latter registers essentially the same disapproval and indecision figures (22% versus 24%). Between June 2025 and September 2025, approval for presidential performance eases (-9 percentage points) while ambivalence toward vicepresidential performance becomes more pronounced (+8 percentage points). (Please refer to Tables 1 and 3.)

Table 1
AWARENESS & PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF TOP NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

The President fails to score any majority approval rating across geographic and socioeconomic subgroupings. Half of those in the rest of Luzon (50%) approve of presidential performance but big pluralities to overwhelming majorities in the Visayas (55%), Mindanao (83%), Class D (42%), and Class E (62%) are critical of the same. About the same approval and disapproval figures are obtained by the President from Metro Manilans (40% versus 36%) and those belonging to Class ABC (39% versus 40%). (Please refer to Table 2.)

Table 2
PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF TOP NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

From June 2025 to September 2025, the President’s approval scores decrease in the Visayas (-18 percentage points), Mindanao (-21 percentage points), and Class D (-9 percentage points). Conversely, levels of disapproval for presidential performance go up in the Visayas (+17 percentage points), Mindanao (+17 percentage points), and Class E (+18 percentage points). Ambivalence on the matter of approving or disapproving the President’s work becomes more manifest in Class D (+7 percentage points). (Please refer to Table 3.)

Table 3
COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF TOP NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

June and September 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Most Visayans (56%), Mindanawons (97%), and those in either Class D (54%) or Class E (71%) approve of the Vice-President’s work. Appreciation is the plurality sentiment in Metro Manila (42%). While the Vice-President has around the same approval and disapproval ratings in Class ABC (45% versus 31%), public opinion about her performance is split three (3) ways in the rest of Luzon (36% approval, 31% indecision, and 32% disapproval). (Please refer to Table 2.)

The Vice-President experiences a drop in her approval rating from June 2025 to September 2025 in Metro Manila (-14 percentage points). Ambivalence regarding vicepresidential performance becomes more notable in Metro Manila (+13 percentage points), the rest of Luzon (+12 percentage points), and Class D (+10 percentage points). Vicepresidential disapproval scores remain essentially unchanged during this period. (Please refer to Table 3.)

The President registers a big plurality distrust rating (45%) while most Filipinos express trust in the Vice-President (56%); a few movements in presidential trustworthiness ratings are recorded during the period June 2025 to September 2025 while public opinion about vice-presidential trustworthiness is essentially unchanged

In September 2025, distrust is the plurality sentiment toward the President (45%). Trust in the latter is more pronounced than ambivalence regarding his trustworthiness (34% versus 21%). As for the Vice-President, she posts a small majority trust rating (56%). Nearly the same percentages of Filipino adults are either undecided regarding the latter’s trustworthiness (23%) or distrust her outright (21%). These figures are virtually the same as those recorded in the June 2025 Ulat ng Bayan survey. The only significant change is the drop in the Vice-President’s national distrust figure (-6 percentage points). (Please refer to Tables 4 and 6.)

Table 4
AWARENESS & TRUST RATINGS OF TOP NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Most Metro Manilans (54%) trust the President but big pluralities to big majorities in the Visayas (58%), Mindanao (87%), Class D (43%), and Class E (65%) distrust him. The latter has basically the same trust and distrust ratings in Class ABC (39% versus 40%). A threeway divide may be observed in Metro Manila (35% trust, 32% indecision, and 33% distrust). (Please refer to Table 5.)

Table 5
TRUST RATINGS OF TOP NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Trust in the President becomes less manifest between June 2025 and September 2025 in the Visayas (-22 percentage points) and Mindanao (-13 percentage points) while distrust becomes more notable in these same areas (+19 and +18 percentage points, respectively). Regarding indecision toward presidential trustworthiness, it becomes more pronounced in Metro Manila (+14 percentage points). (Please refer to Table 6.) 

As may be expected, essentially all Mindanawons trust the Vice-President (96%). The latter also obtains majority trust ratings from Visayans (60%) and those in Classes D and E (56% and 76%, respectively). Almost the same trust and distrust figures are posted in Metro Manila and Class ABC (41% to 42% versus 34% to 36%) while there is a three-way split in public opinion in the rest of Luzon (39% trust, 31% indecision, and 30% distrust). For the most part, the Vice-President’s trustworthiness ratings are constant from June 2025 to September 2025, with the exception of the decline in her distrust rating in Class D

(-8 percentage points). (Please refer to Tables 5 to 6.)

Table 6
COMPARATIVE TRUST RATINGS OF TOP NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

June and September 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Approval is the plurality sentiment regarding the Senate’s performance (42%) while the House of Representatives has around the same disapproval and indecision scores (34% versus 36%); public opinion about the work done by both legislative bodies changes markedly between June 2025 and September 2025

Appreciation is the plurality opinion toward the quarterly performance of the Senate (42%). The latter records essentially the same disapproval and indecision ratings (28% versus 30%). In the case of the House of Representatives, it posts nearly the same disapproval and indecision scores (34% versus 36%). The rest of Filipino adults have a positive opinion about the Lower House’s performance (30%). (Please refer to Table 7.)

Table 7
PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Between June 2025 and September 2025, appreciation for the work of these government institutions becomes less notable – Senate (-11 percentage points) and House of Representatives (-17 percentage points). On the other hand, disapproval for the performance of the Senate and the Lower House becomes more manifest (+10 and +13 percentage points, respectively). (Please refer to Table 8.) 

Across areas and classes, a near majority of Visayans (47%) have a positive assessment of the Senate’s work. The Upper House posts nearly the same approval and disapproval ratings in Mindanao (44% versus 41%), Class ABC (47% versus 33%), and Class E (47% versus 32%). In the rest of Luzon and Class D, essentially the same percentages either approve of the Senate’s quarterly performance (40% to 41%) or express indecision on the matter (34% to 38%). Metro Manilans are split three (3) ways (37% approval, 36% indecision, and 27% disapproval).

(Please refer to Table 7.)

Approval for the work of the Senate eases from June 2025 to September 2025 in Metro Manila (-27 percentage points), the Visayas (-17 percentage points), and Class D (-15 percentage points). Conversely, disapproval for the same becomes more marked in Metro Manila (+13 percentage points), the Visayas (+12 percentage points), Mindanao (+15 percentage points), Class D (+9 percentage points), and Class E (+17 percentage points). In terms of ambivalence toward the latter’s performance, the only significant change occurs in Metro Manila (+14 percentage points). (Please refer to Table 8.)

Table 8
COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June and September 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Most Mindanawons (56%) are critical of the Lower House’s quarterly performance.

Around the same approval and indecision figures are obtained by the latter in the rest of Luzon (34% versus 42%) while virtually the same disapproval and indecision ratings are posted in Class D (32% versus 38%). There is a three-way split in public opinion toward the work of the House of Representatives in Metro Manila, the Visayas, Class ABC, and Class E (32% to 35% approval, 30% to 35% indecision, and 30% to 38% disapproval). (Please refer to Table 7.)

Levels of approval for the performance of the Lower House drop during the period June 2025 to September 2025 in Metro Manila (-31 percentage points), the Visayas (-16 percentage points), Mindanao (-33 percentage points), Class D (-18 percentage points), and Class E (-18 percentage points). Meanwhile, disapproval for the latter’s work becomes more pronounced in Metro Manila (+20 percentage points), Mindanao (+33 percentage points), Class D (+11 percentage points), and Class E (+24 percentage points). Changes in the indecision figures of the House of Representatives are marginal in nature. (Please refer to Table 8.)