PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio both posted low ratings of trust and performance in the second quarter, with the support of both leaders falling below the majority level, according to an OCTA survey released on Monday.
“Compared to March 2026, both leaders posted significant declines in credibility and performance,” OCTA Research said in its report. Mr Marcos posted a sharp drop in performance, while Ms Duterte posted a sharp drop in confidence.
The study showed that the trust of Mr. Marcos dropped to 49% from 54% in March, while his approval rating dropped to 47% from 55%.
About 32% of the respondents said they do not trust the President, 33% expressed displeasure with the way he works. Nineteen percent were undecided on his trust rating and 20 percent were undecided on his performance.
Mr. Marcos maintained the highest trust and performance ratings in all of Luzon, where trust reached 63% and satisfaction with his performance stood at 60%.
His trust ratings were 46% in the National Capital Region (NCR), 43% in the Visayas and 26% in Mindanao. His performance ratings were 43% in NCR, 45% in Visayas and 26% in Mindanao.
OCTA said the President's biggest decline was recorded in Mindanao, where trust fell by 19 percent and satisfaction with his performance dropped by 25 points compared to the previous quarter.
Across all socioeconomic categories, Mr. Marcos dropped the most among Class D respondents, with performance down 11 percent and trust down 8 points.
Class E respondents, however, registered an improvement, with their performance level rising to 52% and trust rising to 55%.
OCTA said targeted social assistance programs for low-income families could help prevent the poorest from the pressures of inflation that continue to weigh on low-income families.
Ms. Duterte also posted weak ratings in the latest poll. His trust rating dropped to 47% from 55% in March, while his performance rating dropped to 45% from 50%. About 33% of respondents said they did not trust the Vice President, 36% were dissatisfied with his performance, and about one-fifth were undecided.
“His July 2026 reliability rating of 47% and performance rating of 45% are the lowest national ratings on record for the available series beginning in October 2022,” OCTA said.
Regionally, Ms. Duterte remained strong in Mindanao, where her trust and performance ratings reached 89% and 90%, respectively. He also posted more ratings for the Visayas, where trust stood at 58% and performance at 55%.
His weak ratings come from NCR and the rest of Luzon. Confidence dropped to 28% in Metro Manila and 27% in all of Luzon, while job satisfaction dropped to 22% and 25%, respectively.
Dissatisfaction with the performance of the Vice President reached 61% in NCR, indicating that the majority of Metro Manila respondents were not satisfied with his performance.
The polling firm said the survey coincided with major political and economic developments, including the opening of Ms. Duterte's impeachment trial on July 6, high fuel and electricity prices, the release of the June inflation report and widespread flooding due to Super Typhoon Inday, known internationally as Bavi, and southwest typhoons.
Mr. Marcos delivered the Fifth State of the Nation Address before a joint session of Congress on Monday, outlining his government's priorities for the remaining two years of his six-year term.
Mrs. Duterte, on the other hand, is on a private trip overseas and is expected to return before the Senate resumes her trial.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Filipino adults nationwide from July 4 to 11. It carries a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Palace Press chief Clarissa A. Castro said the results reflect public opinion on the performance of government officials.
“A survey that is not propaganda and can be used as evidence in the case shows the truth,” said Ms. Castro in an interview of the Viber group with reporters.
“Filipinos should really see who is really working and who is doing nothing but attacking others. The drop in Vice President Sara's ratings shows the fact that she has not been instrumental in helping the government deal with inflation and rising oil prices. She does nothing but criticize, but she does not offer solutions,” he added.
The Office of the Vice President did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking comment. – Erika Mae P. Sinaking
