Pulse Asia released a year-end poll showing half of Filipinos were “critical” of the work done by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the previous quarter, while Vice President Sara Duterte continued to enjoy “small majority approval and trust ratings.”

The December survey found that 48 percent of Filipino adults disapproved of Marcos’ performance, while 34 percent were appreciative of his work.

In contrast, 56 percent had a positive assessment of Duterte’s work, while 24 percent disapproved of her performance.

Marcos and Duterte have around the same national indecision figures at 18 percent and 20 percent, respectively, Pulse Asia noted.

The same survey found that 47 percent of Filipinos distrusted Marcos, 32 percent trusted him, while 21 percent were undecided.

As for Duterte, 54 percent of adults trusted the vice president, 24 percent distrusted her, while 22 percent were undecided.

Pulse Asia noted the two leaders’ trust and approval scores remain “essentially unchanged” between September 2025 and December 2025.

A separate SWS survey suggested nearly the same figures as Pulse Asia regarding Marcos and Duterte’s ratings at the end of 2025.

The surveys were released amid widening investigations into the flood control corruption scandal that shook the government’s bureaucracy under the Marcos government.

The Pulse Asia survey also showed that the most urgent national concern for Filipinos this December was controlling inflation at 59 percent, followed by fighting corruption in government at 48 percent and increasing workers’ pay at 39 percent.

These three issues have consistently topped the survey since September 2025.

Other pressing issues include reducing poverty (22 percent), job creation (19 percent), fighting criminality (19 percent), combating the widespread use and sale of illegal drugs (18 percent), ensuring fair law enforcement (13 percent), and environmental protection (10 percent).

The least urgent issues for Filipinos, according to the survey, are protecting OFWs’ welfare (3 percent), defending Philippine territory (2 percent), and preparedness against terrorism (1 percent).

Meanwhile, the Philippine government received its lowest approval rating for its performance in controlling inflation at 16 percent, and its highest for the protection of OFWs’ welfare at 58 percent.

The survey also showed that near majorities appreciate the government’s efforts to defend national territorial integrity at 43 percent and its response to calamity-hit areas at 46 percent.

However, “disapproval was the predominant sentiment” toward the administration’s work in fighting illegal drugs at 67 percent, fighting corruption in government, 68 percent; and controlling inflation, 69 percent.

UP Political Science Professor Aries Arugay said the multi-billion peso flood control corruption issue could have heavily contributed to the public’s distrust of Marcos, as his administration has not brought implicated lawmakers and public officials behind bars despite months of vows for accountability.

“The public, I think, is expressing that the government headed by the president has not been forthcoming, proactive, as well as hasn’t taken any concrete steps towards ensuring that we get to the bottom of this and there should be accountability,” Arugay said.

The government, he said, has “lost total control” of the entire process, and made a “misstep” in the flood control investigation by not empowering the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

“Even if you just put ‘independent’ in the name, it doesn’t mean it’s independent. You have to empower it,” he said.

The ICI was mandated to investigate the massive flood control scandal, but was not given contempt powers.

Several lawmakers have pushed for the legislation of an independent people’s commission, but it remains pending in the Senate and House of Representatives.

“It’s quite tragic that it was good intentions at first, the President exposed this, but somehow, the government has lost total control of the entire process,” he added.

He said the survey result reflects “the public has been increasingly disappointed and disheartened that promises were made that there will be swift actions.”

Meanwhile, Arugay attributed Duterte’s stable trust rating to her family’s strong bailiwick in Mindanao.

He added that Duterte had placed herself in a “sweet spot” due to several factors, including her “bolting herself out” of the government, when the administration’s performance and trust rating have been going down.

The political science professor said the numbers could have changed if Duterte remained as a member of the Cabinet, especially as the secretary of the Department of Education, which had also faced corruption allegations this year.

Arugay added that the Supreme Court decision blocking Duterte’s impeachment trial also affected her ratings.