Honeymoon period over? Satisfaction with Marcos, Sara down

MANILA, Philippines — Even though they still enjoy the approval of the majority, satisfaction with President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte dropped by double digits in several polls conducted last year.

A year into the new administration, which was elected by a landslide in the 2022 elections, Filipinos are also largely dissatisfied with the government’s performance in addressing the rising cost of basic commodities.

In a span of one year, Marcos’ performance rating decreased by 13 points, from 78 percent in October 2022 to 65 percent in October 2023, based on the quarterly “Tugon ng Masa” survey conducted by OCTA Research.

Marcos’ performance rating slightly went up to 80 percent in March, before dropping to 71 percent in July and 65 percent in October.

Comparing the October 2022 and October 2023 surveys, Marcos’ approval went down significantly across areas, with a drop of 26 percentage points among respondents in Mindanao (from 85 percent to 59 percent).

Duterte, meanwhile, suffered a 10-point drop in her performance rating, from 80 percent in October 2022 to 70 percent in October 2023. It went up to as high as 84 percent in March.

As of October 2023, the Vice President’s lowest approval ratings were among respondents from balance Luzon and Metro Manila at 62 percent and 63 percent, respectively (down from 71 percent and 79 percent, respectively, in the October 2022 survey).

The same is true with Pulse Asia’s “Ulat ng Bayan” survey, which showed Marcos’ approval rating dropping from 80 percent in June 2023 to 65 percent in September 2023.

Duterte’s approval rating, meanwhile, dropped from 84 percent to 73 percent.

In terms of trust, Marcos suffered a 14-point decrease from 85 percent to 71 percent. Duterte’s trust rating dropped from 87 percent to 75 percent.

Polling firm Social Weather Stations (SWS) had yet to release its survey results on public satisfaction with government officials as of late last year.

The most recent available survey, conducted in December 2022, showed that 75 percent of respondents were satisfied with Marcos.

Various polls also showed that inflation remains the most urgent concern among Filipinos.

Throughout the year, the