Public dissatisfaction with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. climbed to its highest level in March, dragging his net satisfaction rating down to negative-15 amid the rising economic pressures and lingering concerns over his health, according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey.
The 24-31 March survey found that 49 percent of Filipinos were dissatisfied with the President’s performance, up from 43 percent in November 2025, while 33 percent said they were satisfied and 18 percent were undecided.
The resulting net satisfaction score of negative-15, computed by subtracting dissatisfaction from satisfaction, fell within SWS’ classification of “poor” and marked a sharp 12-point drop from his previous rating of negative-3 in November. It also surpassed Marcos’ earlier record low of -12 posted in March 2025.
The decline cut across all major geographic areas, with even administration bailiwicks posting weaker numbers.
Balance Luzon, where Marcos had drawn strongest support, recorded a neutral +2 rating, down 11 points from +13 four months earlier.
The Visayas slipped 17 points to -15, while Metro Manila dropped further into “bad” territory at -31. Mindanao remained the President’s weakest region at -40.
The survey also showed dissatisfaction intensifying in both rural and urban communities.
In rural areas, Marcos’ rating fell 18 points from +9 to -9, while urban respondents gave him a -20 rating, six points lower than in November.
Support eroded among both men and women, although the decline was sharper among male respondents, whose rating for Marcos fell from net zero to -16. Among women, the President’s rating dropped nine points to -15.
Younger working-age Filipinos posted the most dramatic shift. Among respondents aged 25 to 34, Marcos’s net satisfaction rating plunged 23 points from -17 to -40, one of the steepest declines in the survey.
College graduates also turned markedly more critical, with the President’s rating among them falling 23 points to -37.
The SWS poll pointed to the worsening economic conditions as a major factor behind the collapse in support.
Half of adult Filipinos surveyed described themselves as “losers,” or people whose quality of life had deteriorated over the past year. Marcos received a poor -26 rating from this group.
By contrast, Filipinos who said their lives improved over the same period, classified by SWS as “gainers,” gave the President a neutral +6 rating.
Future expectations also reflected growing unease.
Among respondents who believed their quality of life would worsen in the next 12 months, Marcos posted a -25 satisfaction rating. Those who remained optimistic about their future gave him a neutral -3.
According to the Ibon Foundation, the worsening poverty, hunger, and inequality under the Marcos administration have fueled public frustration, with the group warning that the Philippines is falling behind in most of its United Nations sustainable development goals.
Ibon said wealth and political influence remain concentrated in a small elite while social services and economic protections continue to lag.
The survey likewise found Filipinos divided over the President’s health following reports earlier this year that Marcos had temporarily stepped away from official duties due to diverticulitis.
Thirty-five percent of respondents said they believed the President was in good health, while 30 percent said they did not believe so. Another 35 percent said they were undecided.
Skepticism was strongest in Mindanao where 37 percent said they did not believe Marcos was healthy. Among college graduates, only 21 percent believed the President’s health was good, while nearly half, or 46 percent, said they were undecided.
The noncommissioned survey interviewed 1,500 adults nationwide through face-to-face interviews. It had a margin of error of ±3 percentage points for national figures.
