President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has hit his lowest public approval rating yet, registering a net satisfaction score of -15 in the March 2026 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. The sharp decline comes as public dissatisfaction with his administration climbed to 49%, while only 33% of Filipino adults expressed satisfaction with his performance, and 18% remained undecided.
The President’s net satisfaction scores fell uniformly across all geographic regions compared to November 2025. The steepest decline occurred in the Visayas, dropping 17 points to a neutral +2. Balance Luzon slipped 11 points into moderate territory at +13, while already negative scores worsened in Metro Manila (down 14 points to poor -17) and Mindanao (down 11 points to poor -29).
Demographic breakdowns revealed notable shifts among age groups and education levels:
- By Age: The most severe drop was observed among young professionals aged 25–34, where satisfaction plummeted 23 points from poor -17 to a bad -40. Scores also flipped from positive to negative among 45–54-year-olds, landing at neutral -5.
- By Education: Public approval weakened across all schooling thresholds. Both non-elementary graduates and elementary graduates saw their ratings slide into neutral territory at -3. College graduates registered the heaviest decline, diving 23 points to a bad -37.
Economic outlook and personal quality of life also tied heavily into the dipping figures. Respondents who reported that their lives had worsened over the past year gave the President a score 10 points lower than his previous poor -16 rating. Similarly, both economic optimists and those expecting no lifestyle changes over the next 12 months showed reduced confidence, with ratings falling from their previous neutral +4 benchmarks.
Beyond governance, the survey also gauged public perception of the Chief Executive’s physical well-being, revealing that 35% of respondents believe the President is in good health.
Geographically, optimism about his health peaked in Balance Luzon at 39% and Metro Manila at 38%. Conversely, skepticism was highest in Mindanao, where 37% of respondents expressed negative views regarding his physical condition, followed closely by Metro Manila at 35%.
The first-quarter SWS poll was conducted via face-to-face interviews from March 24 to 31, 2026, utilizing a nationwide sample of 1,500 adults with a ±3% margin of error.