Marcos and Duterte Ratings Shift in March 2025 Pulse Asia Poll
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APRIL 16,2025
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s public approval and trust ratings took a significant hit in March 2025, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey results. In contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte gained more public support, emerging as the only top-ranking official with improved performance ratings.
The findings were released by Pulse Asia Research Inc. in its Ulat ng Bayan nationwide survey, which was conducted in March 2025. The poll shows a sharp decline in President Marcos’ approval rating, dropping 17 percentage points — from 42% in February to just 25% in March.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte‘s approval rating rose by 7 percentage points, climbing from 52% in February to 59% in March, making her the only top official to see an improvement in public perception.
Marcos and Duterte -Pulse Asia March 2025 Performance Ratings Breakdown
- President Bongbong Marcos:
- Approval: 25%
- Disapproval: 53%
- Undecided: 22%
- Vice President Sara Duterte:
- Approval: 59%
- Disapproval: 16%
- Undecided: 25%
- Senate President Chiz Escudero:
- Approval: 39%
- Disapproval: 18%
- Undecided: 44%
- House Speaker Martin Romualdez:
- Approval: 14%
- Disapproval: 54%
- Undecided: 31%
While Marcos’ ratings suffered the most dramatic decline, Senate President Escudero also experienced a significant dip, falling by 8 percentage points. House Speaker Martin Romualdez retained his approval rating, but his disapproval surged from 14% in February to 54% in March — a concerning 40-point leap.
Trust Ratings Also Shift in March
When it comes to public trust, Pulse Asia’s March 2025 survey paints a similar picture.
- President Marcos:
- Big trust: 25%
- Low or no trust: 54%
- Undecided: 21%
- Vice President Sara Duterte:
- Big trust: 61%
- Low or no trust: 16%
- Undecided: 23%
- Senate President Escudero:
- Big trust: 38%
- Low or no trust: 20%
- Undecided: 41%
- House Speaker Romualdez:
- Big trust: 14%
- Low or no trust: 57%
- Undecided: 30%
The most notable drop in trust came from President Marcos, whose trust rating plunged from 42% in February to 25% in March. Distrust in the president also spiked, from 32% to 54% within the same period. In contrast, Sara Duterte’s trust rating rose by 8 points, from 53% to 61%.
House Speaker Romualdez continues to be the most distrusted among the four, with 57% of Filipinos expressing little to no trust — a 15-point jump from his previous 42% distrust rating.
What’s Driving the Numbers?
The March 2025 Pulse Asia survey was conducted shortly after a major political event: the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte by the House of Representatives. On February 5, over 200 lawmakers signed the Articles of Impeachment, which were forwarded to the Senate. However, the upper chamber adjourned without taking up the matter, leaving the impeachment proceedings in limbo.
Despite this controversy, Duterte’s popularity increased, indicating a possible public backlash against the impeachment attempt or continued strong grassroots support. NOWTREND
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