Marcos' Trust Rating Dips to 34% Ahead of Fifth SONA

MANILA. Philippines — Ahead of his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is seeing a lower public trust rating, according to a survey. A commissioned survey conducted by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) in June 2026 showed Marcos’ trust rating at 34%, down one percentage point from the 35% recorded in March 2026. The survey also showed that 45% of Filipinos have little trust in the Chief Executive, while 19% remain undecided. The latest figure is lower than Marcos' trust rating of 64% in July 2024. Although his rating briefly recovered to 48% in June 2025, it continued to drop in the succeeding survey periods, reaching 34% in June 2026. In contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte maintained a comparatively high level of public trust. The poll showed that 57% of Filipinos expressed a great deal of trust in Duterte, who is currently facing impeachment charges. The figure remained unchanged from the March 2026 survey. Meanwhile, 27% of respondents said they have “little trust” in the vice president, while the remaining 15% were undecided. Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres "Dindo" Manhit said the survey findings should serve as a "wake-up call" for the Marcos administration. With the president set to deliver his penultimate SONA, Manhit said the address presents an opportunity for the government to respond to growing public concerns and outline priorities for the remaining years of its term. "As President Marcos prepares to deliver his fifth SONA, Filipinos will be looking not for rhetoric but for a clear plan to address the issues that affect their daily lives," Manhit said. The SWS survey was conducted among 1,200 respondents nationwide. It has a margin of error of ±3% for national results and ±6% for results in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with a 95% confidence level. The respondents were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire with visual aids. Marcos is scheduled to deliver his fifth SONA on July 27.