MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. experienced a modest bump in his trust rating, while Vice President Sara Duterte continued to hold a substantial lead despite a slight dip, according to a commissioned survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
The nationwide poll, conducted from September 21 to 27, 2026 among 1,500 adult respondents, showed that 36% of Filipinos expressed “much trust” in President Marcos. This reflects a two-percentage-point increase from his 34% rating in June.
Meanwhile, those expressing “little trust” in the President fell by five points to 40%, with 22% remaining undecided.
Regionally, Marcos scored his highest trust rating in Balance Luzon at 40%, followed by Mindanao at 35%, the Visayas at 33%, and the National Capital Region at 31%. Conversely, distrust was highest in Mindanao and the Visayas at 44% each, followed by Metro Manila at 43% and Balance Luzon at 35%.
In contrast, Vice President Duterte maintained a higher overall public trust rating, with 56% of respondents indicating “much trust” in her, marking a minor one-point decrease from June. Those expressing “little trust” in the Vice President stood at 26%, while 17% were undecided.
Duterte recorded her strongest support in Mindanao, where an overwhelming 87% reported much trust and only 4% registered little trust. She also drew substantial trust in the Visayas at 60%, Metro Manila at 46%, and Balance Luzon at 41%.
The Stratbase Group-commissioned survey utilized face-to-face interviews and carries a margin of error of ±3% nationally.