Photo courtesy of House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook.
Public sentiment toward Congress moved in opposite directions in the second quarter of 2026, with the Senate losing ground in trust and satisfaction while the House of Representatives posted modest gains, according to an OCTA Research survey.
The latest Tugon ng Masa poll showed that 41 percent of respondents trusted the Senate, down from 44 percent in the previous survey. The share of Filipinos who expressed distrust rose three points to 27 percent.
The Senate also received lower marks for its performance. Satisfaction fell to 38 percent from 42 percent, while dissatisfaction climbed to 32 percent from 27 percent.
The House, meanwhile, saw its trust rating improve to 38 percent from 36 percent. Distrust in the chamber dropped five points to 28 percent from 33 percent.
Public assessment of the House’s performance also improved slightly. Satisfaction rose to 37 percent from 35 percent, while dissatisfaction declined to 32 percent from 35 percent.
OCTA conducted the survey from July 4 to 11 among 1,200 Filipino adults. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
The polling period came amid political developments in the Senate, including a leadership dispute that eventually resulted in a change at the helm of the chamber, OCTA noted.
The survey also covered the opening phase of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment proceedings, with the Senate convening as an impeachment court on July 6. The timing placed the ratings snapshot against a period of heightened scrutiny of the upper chamber.