President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appears to be regaining public confidence, while Vice President Sara Duterte is seeing a notable dip in support, based on the latest survey results released by Octa Research.
According to Octa’s “Tugon ng Masa” poll conducted from July 12 to 17, 2025, Marcos saw a modest but important recovery in both trust and performance ratings, reversing a downward trend that had dogged his administration since late 2024. His trust rating climbed to 64 percent, up from 60 percent last quarter, while his performance rating rose to 62 percent, a three-point boost.
Marcos now holds the highest trust and performance ratings among the country’s top national officials. Analysts suggest the rebound may be attributed to recent high-profile infrastructure announcements and renewed messaging around economic recovery, though Octa did not pinpoint exact causes.
In stark contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte’s public image appears to be slipping. Her trust rating dropped to 54 percent from 58 percent, and her performance rating saw a sharper decline—from 56 percent to just 50 percent. Octa noted that her lower ratings were consistent across most demographic and geographic groups, with the steepest declines in Metro Manila and areas in Luzon outside NCR.
Despite the dip, both Marcos and Duterte continue to command majority support nationwide.
Escudero, Romualdez: Mixed results
Senate President Francis Escudero also experienced a dip, with both his trust and performance ratings falling to 51 percent and 49 percent, respectively. However, he registered a surprising surge of support in Mindanao—an 11-point bump in trust and a remarkable 17-point gain in performance—marking the strongest regional increase recorded in the survey.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Martin Romualdez joined Marcos in the winner’s circle this quarter. His trust rating inched up to 57 percent from 54 percent, and his performance rating jumped four points to 59 percent. Octa emphasized that Romualdez’s gains were felt across all major regions and socioeconomic classes.
A shift in political tides?
The latest numbers contrast sharply with Octa’s April 2024 survey, when Duterte enjoyed a surge in popularity while Marcos struggled. Now, with those roles reversed, political observers are watching closely for what this shift could signal for the administration’s unity, as well as the 2025 midterm elections on the horizon.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above. It carries a ±3 percent margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, all eyes will be on whether these numbers mark a temporary fluctuation or the beginning of a long-term trend in public sentiment.