Marcos regains majority ratings as Duterte slips in OCTA poll

April 20, 2026 | 1:26pm

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recovered majority trust and performance ratings in the first quarter of 2026 while approval for Vice President Sara Duterte fell to a record low, a new OCTA poll showed, as the two leaders' public standing moved in opposite directions amid a deepening oil crisis.

The nationwide poll by OCTA Research, which surveyed 1,200 adults face-to-face from March 19 to 25, found Marcos's trust rating rising six points to 54% and his performance satisfaction climbing four points to 55%. 

Duterte's trust held at 55% — statistically unchanged — but her performance rating dipped slightly by four points to 50%. The survey carries a ±3% margin of error.

The poll was fielded amid a deepening oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran and the buildup to a second impeachment case against Duterte — a period that put both officials under public scrutiny.  

Marcos declared a national energy emergency on March 24, midway through the survey. At the same time, the House justice committee was advancing a second impeachment case against Duterte. It found the complaints sufficient in grounds on March 18, the day before the survey began, and opened formal hearings on March 25, the last day. 

The results "highlight a widening gap in perception," OCTA wrote in its report, explaining that while opinion of the president is "becoming more defined and positive," views of Duterte are growing "mixed and differentiated." 

"This divergence may reflect evolving public expectations shaped by both domestic political developments and external pressures, including global geopolitical tensions and their potential economic impacts," OCTA said in its executive summary of the survey.

Marcos' gains cut across regions

Marcos's trust rose across regions. The National Capital Region and Mindanao posted the largest increases at nine points each, followed by Balance Luzon at five and the Visayas at four. 

The president's performance ratings followed the same pattern. It climbed in NCR by 10 points, Mindanao by nine, Visayas by five. Only Balance Luzon dipped, by one point.

The share of undecided Filipinos on Marcos' trustworthiness fell six points nationally, with the steepest drops in the Visayas at 11 points and NCR at nine.

Ambivalence on his performance fell three points overall, with a whopping 11-point drop among Class ABC.

His weakest spot remains Mindanao, where trust stood at 45% and dissatisfaction with his performance reached 37% — both the highest negatives among the four regions. Distrust among Class ABC respondents also rose 6 points to 39%.

Duterte steady on trust, slipping on performance

Duterte's 55% trust was effectively flat — the 2-point rise from December fell within the margin of error. Her trust remained highest in Mindanao at 90% and lowest in NCR and Balance Luzon, both at 40%.

The vice president's performance ratings, however, have slid. Satisfaction fell seven points in NCR, six in Balance Luzon, and four in the Visayas. Among Class D respondents, the country's largest socioeconomic group, her rating dropped five points. Only Mindanao went the other direction, up four points to 83%.

The number of undecided Filipinos on her job performance rose four points nationally.