President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. maintained majority-level trust and job performance ratings in the latest survey by the RPMD Foundation Inc., while several Cabinet members and agency heads posted even higher scores.
The survey, conducted from July 12 to 19, showed Marcos with an Index of Governance (IOG) rating of 55.1 percent, based on a 54.5-percent trust rating and a 55.8-percent job performance rating.
The president also had a net trust rating of +25.2 percentage points and a net performance rating of +27.7 percentage points, indicating that favorable assessments outnumbered negative ones.
Compared with RPMD’s previous survey in May, Marcos’ overall IOG rose by 2.3 percentage points, while both his trust and job performance ratings increased by more than two points.
RPMD political analyst Dr. Paul Martinez attributed the increase to stronger public support, partly driven by the administration’s anti-corruption efforts, but said sustained public confidence would depend on improvements in employment, food prices, public services, infrastructure, peace and order, and the cost of living.
“The results point to a gradual strengthening of public confidence rather than a sudden political shift,” Martinez said. Still, the administration would still be judged by whether its policies translate into tangible benefits for Filipino households, he added.
Among Cabinet officials, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian had the highest rating, with an IOG score of 88.2 percent.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara was second with 86.9 percent, followed by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla with 86.6 percent.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida had an IOG rating of 85.7 percent, followed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (85.2 percent) and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon (84.9 percent).
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto posted 83.9 percent, and Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr. 83.1 percent.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III rounded out the top Cabinet performers with ratings ranging from 81.7 percent to 82.5 percent.
RPMD said Cabinet officials handling social welfare, education, local governance, justice, defense, infrastructure and agriculture generally received the strongest public assessments.
Among heads of key government agencies, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla posted the highest IOG rating at 90.3 percent.
He was followed by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag (88.5 percent) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Jose Francisco Benitez (87.6 percent).
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno scored 86.8 percent, while Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., who has retired before the survey was conducted, received 86.6 percent.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. had an IOG rating of 85.4 percent, PhilHealth President Edwin Mercado, 84.9 percent, and Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta, 84.5 percent.
Also among the top performers were Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, Land Transportation Office chief Markus Lacanilao, Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) chief Claire Dennis Mapa.
The survey also showed gains for the House of Representatives and its leadership.
Speaker Faustino Dy III received an IOG rating of 59.9 percent, consisting of a 59.2-percent trust rating and a 60.7-percent job performance rating.
His overall score improved by 1.8 percentage points from the previous RPMD survey, while his net trust and net performance ratings stood at +30.9 percentage points and +29.2 percentage points, respectively.
As an institution, the House posted an IOG rating of 63.8 percent, up 1.6 percentage points from the previous survey. It had a trust rating of 63.3 percent and a job performance rating of 64.4 percent.
RPMD noted that respondents rated the House as an institution more favorably than its speaker, suggesting they distinguished between their assessment of Dy and the chamber’s overall legislative performance.
House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos received an individual IOG rating of 89.3 percent, making him the highest-rated district representative in the survey. Franco Jose Baroña
