Marcos’ ratings dip, Sara’s remain steady in latest survey

National

THE latest OCTA Research poll painted contrasting pictures for the country’s top two officials, with President Marcos losing ground in public satisfaction and trust while Vice President Sara Duterte posted little change.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, showed that 44 percent of respondents were satisfied with Marcos’ performance, down three percentage points from 47 percent in July.

Meanwhile, dissatisfaction increased to 36 percent from 33 percent, while undecided respondents accounted for 19 percent, slightly lower than the previous 20 percent.

The president’s trust rating also fell, with 45 percent of respondents saying they trusted him, down four percentage points from 49 percent in July. His distrust rating rose to 36 percent from 32 percent, while the proportion of undecided respondents remained at 19 percent.

Vice President Sara Duterte, meanwhile, registered relatively stable performance and trust ratings.

Her satisfaction rating edged up to 46 percent from 45 percent, while dissatisfaction remained at 36 percent. Those who were undecided declined slightly to 18 percent from 19 percent.

Duterte’s trust rating likewise inched up to 48 percent from 47 percent. Her distrust rating stayed at 33 percent, while undecided respondents made up 19 percent, down from 20 percent.

The survey also highlighted a widening regional gap in public trust between the two officials.

OCTA noted that their regional trust profiles were nearly identical in October 2022, when both enjoyed trust ratings exceeding 80 percent in every area, with no more than a six-point difference between them in any region.

By September 2026, however, the President had a 29-point trust advantage over Duterte in balance Luzon and a five-point lead in the National Capital Region. Duterte, in turn, led Marcos by 23 points in the Visayas and 66 points in Mindanao.

“In October 2022, the two officials had nearly identical regional profiles. Each recorded trust above 80 percent in every area and the difference between them in any area was no more than six points,” OCTA said.

Malacañang, for its part, questioned whether the survey adequately reflected the experiences of beneficiaries of government assistance programs.

Palace press officer Claire Castro said the poll might not have covered recipients of the administration’s initiatives, particularly beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom food stamp program.

“Those whose conditions changed under the Walang Gutom program yielded positive figures,” Castro said in a Philstar report.

A separate poll commissioned by Globe involving 2,400 Walang Gutom beneficiaries found that the proportion of participants who experienced hunger declined to 26.9 percent from 33.6 percent. The survey was conducted in two rounds, from Feb. 24 to March 8 and from June 22 to July 1.(MyTVCebu)