President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s approval rose for the first time in nearly two years, while Vice President Sara Duterte saw a slight drop in her ratings, according to the August 2025 national survey of non-partisan public opinion firm WR Numero. The survey also found Filipinos are divided on the president’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The  latest Philippine Public Opinion Monitor asked respondents to assess the performance of the country’s top leaders and share their views on the recent SONA.

Marcos and Duterte’s performance satisfaction

The nationwide survey found that 35% of Filipinos are satisfied with Pres. Marcos Jr.’s performance in August 2025, a six-percentage-point increase from his April rating of 29%. This marks the first rebound in his ratings after a steady decline since the Opinion Monitor began in December 2023.

Dissatisfaction with Marcos also fell, from 42% in April to 32% in August. About 33% of respondents were unsure of their assessment. 

Regionally, Marcos received his highest satisfaction rating from respondents in the rest of Luzon at 45%. Dissatisfaction was highest in Mindanao at 42%. In the Visayas, opinion was nearly even, with 39% dissatisfied and 38% satisfied. In Metro Manila, 42% were undecided, while 33% expressed dissatisfaction and 26% were satisfied. 

By age, satisfaction with the president’s performance was highest among Filipinos 60 and older (51%). Younger Filipinos were more critical, with 44% of those 30 and under expressing dissatisfaction. Those ages 31 to 59 were split, with 37% satisfied, 36% undecided and 27% dissatisfied.

VP Sara Duterte’s performance rating slipped three points to 47% in August, down from 50% in April. Twenty-one percent said they were dissatisfied with her performance, while 32% were undecided.

By region, satisfaction with Duterte’s performance was highest in Mindanao at 76%, with only 5% dissatisfied. In the Visayas, 53% of the region expressed satisfaction and 20% dissatisfaction. Metro Manila residents were split, with 36% satisfied, 33% dissatisfied and 31% undecided. In the rest of Luzon, most respondents were unsure of their assessment (40%).

Across age groups, more than 45% of Filipinos expressed satisfaction with Duterte’s performance, with those 30 and under recording the highest at 49%. Dissatisfaction was highest among those 60 and older at 28%. Filipinos aged 31 to 59 were the most undecided, with 36% unsure of their assessment.

On Marcos’ SONA

The survey was conducted after Marcos delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28. More than half of Filipinos (52%) said they had not watched or heard the speech. Among those with an opinion, 25% disagreed with it and 24% agreed.

Opinion was evenly divided on whether the country and the Marcos administration are headed in the right direction based on the SONA. Half said the nation is on the wrong track, while the other half disagreed.

These findings are part of the WR Numero Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, Volume 2025, Issue 4 (August 2025 National Survey). The survey includes Filipinos’ latest perception on the performance assessment of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, the president’s State of the National Address, the latest developments on the vice president’s impeachment, and the policy priorities of Filipinos, among others.

To receive updates once the complete WR Numero Philippine Public Opinion Monitor Volume 2025, Issue 4 is released, sign up at bit.ly/PPOMSignup.