Marcos' Approval Ratings Tank in Mindanao; Duterte Remains Highly Popular in Region

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/27 July 2026) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received his lowest approval and trust ratings in Mindanao while Vice President Sara Duterte continued to enjoy overwhelming public support in the region, according to the latest Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan survey released ahead of the President’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). The nationwide survey, conducted from June 28 to July 3 and 6, found that only 6% of respondents in Mindanao approved of Marcos’ performance, marking the lowest among the country’s major geographic areas. Meanwhile, 79% said they disapproved of his performance — the highest regional disapproval rating recorded in the survey. By comparison, Marcos posted an overall national approval rating of 29% and a disapproval rating of 50%. His approval stood at 35% in Metro Manila, 40% in the rest of Luzon, and 24% in the Visayas. The pattern was similar in the survey’s trust ratings. Here, only 8% of respondents in Mindanao said they trusted the President, compared with a nationwide trust rating of 28%. At the same time, 77% of Mindanao respondents said they distrusted Marcos — significantly higher than the national distrust figure of 51% and the highest among all regions. The Pulse Asia findings were echoed in a separate nationwide survey released Monday by OCTA Research. While using a different methodology and fieldwork period, OCTA likewise found that Marcos recorded his weakest ratings in Mindanao, where the region registered the President’s steepest declines in both trust and performance — from 45% to 26%, and 51% to 26%, respectively. Returning to the Pulse Asia survey, Duterte, by contrast, continued to register her strongest support in Mindanao, where the Vice President received an 89% approval rating in the region, exceeding her national approval rating of 56%. Only 4% of Mindanao respondents expressed disapproval of her performance, whereas the figure registered at 29% nationally. Seven percent remained undecided. Trust in Duterte was even stronger — 95% of respondents in Mindanao said they trusted the Vice President, compared with 58% nationwide. Only 3% of respondents in the region expressed distrust towards her, the lowest regional distrust rating recorded in the survey. Compared with Pulse Asia’s March 2026 survey, Marcos’ standing in Mindanao continued to weaken. His approval rating in the region fell from 12% to 6%, while his disapproval rating rose from 73% to 79%. His trust rating also slipped from 10% to 8%, while distrust remained at 77%. Duterte’s ratings in Mindanao, meanwhile, remained consistently high despite slight declines. Her approval rating dipped from 95% in March to 89% in July, while trust edged down from 97% to 95%. Even so, she remained the country’s highest-rated national official in the region by a wide margin. Nationally, Filipinos continued to withhold majority approval and trust from Marcos. Half of respondents (50%) gave the President a negative performance rating, while 51% said they did not trust him. Duterte, meanwhile, maintained majority approval (56%) and trust (58%) ratings nationwide. OCTA similarly found contrasting regional patterns between the country’s two highest officials. While Marcos’ largest losses were concentrated in Mindanao and the Visayas, Duterte’s support remained strongest in Mindanao despite national declines elsewhere, underscoring the region’s distinct political outlook. Pulse Asia conducted face-to-face interviews with 2,400 Filipino adults nationwide. The survey has around a 2% margin of error at the national level and around 4% for each geographic area, including Mindanao. (Bea Gatmaytan/MindaNews)