Vice President Sara Duterte has again secured higher approval and trust ratings than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to Pulse Asia's fourth quarter survey in December 2025. The ratings for both leaders remained largely unchanged from the previous quarter, though Marcos saw a slight rise in disapproval.
Pulse Asia conducted its fourth quarter survey from December 12 to 15, 2025, with 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of ±2.8 percent. Results released on December 30, 2025, showed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s approval rating at 34 percent, up from 33 percent in September, while his disapproval rose from 44 percent to 48 percent. His trust rating stood at 32 percent, down from 34 percent, with 47 percent expressing distrust.
Vice President Sara Duterte, meanwhile, garnered a 56 percent approval rating, similar to the previous 55 percent, and a 54 percent trust rating, down slightly from 56 percent. Her disapproval increased to 24 percent from 22 percent.
Regionally, Marcos achieved his highest approval in Balance Luzon at 51 percent, but only 7 percent in Mindanao. Duterte maintained 95 percent approval and trust ratings in her home region of Mindanao, with strong support in the Visayas where about 70 percent approved and trusted her performance.
Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes noted no substantial shifts in the ratings despite recent political controversies and protests. 'This is normal for a fourth quarter survey,' he said, attributing the stability to the holiday season's tempering effect on public opinion. He explained that ratings typically change only with clear deteriorations in living conditions, such as economic issues like inflation, wages, jobs, and poverty, which topped public concerns alongside corruption.
Marcos remained unfazed by the results, according to Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro. 'The ratings serve as a guide for the administration, but whatever the results, high or low, will not affect the President and his work, especially in curbing or eliminating corruption,' she stated. She linked the negative sentiment to the administration's intensified anti-corruption efforts, including probes into anomalous flood control projects.
