MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. suffered a steep decline in both public trust and approval in March 2025, while Vice President Sara Duterte emerged as the only top government official whose ratings improved, according to Pulse Asia’s latest Ulat ng Bayan survey.
The survey, conducted from March 23 to 29 with 2,400 respondents nationwide, revealed a significant drop in President Marcos’ approval rating — falling by 17 percentage points, from 42% in February to just 25% in March. His disapproval rating surged to 53%, marking a 21-point increase over the same period.
Public trust in Marcos also sharply declined. Only 25% of Filipinos said they trusted the President, down from 42% the previous month. Meanwhile, 54% expressed distrust — a considerable jump from 32% in February.
GMA News Online reached out to the Office of the President for a response, but it has yet to issue a statement on the survey results.
In stark contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte posted gains in all major metrics. Her approval rating rose from 52% to 59%, while her disapproval rating fell from 26% to 16%. Duterte also saw her trust rating climb to 61% in March, up by 8 percentage points from February.
Other top government officials, however, were not spared from declining numbers.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s approval rating dropped by 8 percentage points, and his disapproval rose by 6 points. His trust rating slid from 47% to 38%, while his distrust rating increased to 20%.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Martin Romualdez maintained his approval score but saw a significant rise in disapproval, which jumped from 40% in February to 54% in March. Trust in Romualdez also took a hit, with 57% of Filipinos saying they distrusted him — up from 42% the previous month.
Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey used a multi-stage probability sampling method and has a ±2% margin of error at the 95% confidence level. The results reflect the evolving sentiments of Filipinos amid various national issues and leadership challenges.
