IF THE LATEST result of a non-commissioned survey is any indication, the Philippine Senate would be the least approved and least trusted government institution in the country.
Citing Pahayag survey conducted from June 28 to 30, the senate plunged to 21 percent approval rating — and a nightmarishly dismal 12 percent trust grade, primarily attributed to the ongoing impeachment trial of charges filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The survey, administered by Malou Tiquia’s Publicus Asia, had 1,509 respondents referred to as “Filipino voters.” Interestingly, Tiquia is a staunch supporter of the Vice President.
Other government institutions dwelling at the cellar include the Department of Public Works and Highways which garnered 22 percent approval, 14 percent trust; the Department of Budget and Management with 25 percent approval, 15 percent trust; and the House of Representatives with 26 percent approval, 15 percent trust.
Incidentally, the list reflects the very same government institutions dragged into the trillion-peso flood control scandal, which the President exposed in his state of the nation address in July 2025. He is soon making his 2026 SONA this month.
In contrast, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) remained the most approved and trusted government agency, with 63 percent approval and 45 percent trust ratings; followed by the Department of Science and Technology (53 percent approval, 37 percent trust) and the Commission on Higher Education (48 percent approval, 35 percent trust), while the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas enjoys a relatively strong trust at 35 percent.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian logged 32 percent approval and 21 percent trust while House Speaker Faustino Dy III remained struggling with approval pegged at 13 percent from 11 percent and trust at 8 percent (from 6 percent), reflecting limited public visibility.
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo received an approval rating of 17 percent, a slight rise from 16 percent while trust remained unchanged at 10 percent.
“This suggests that while sentiment toward the judiciary has slightly improved, baseline confidence remains modest,” the survey said.
Opposition officials dominate favorable rankings with Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino led with a net favorable rating of 57 percent, including 29 percent who rated him as “very favorable.”
Sen. Francis Pangilinan followed at 46 percent and Sen. Risa Hontiveros at 47 percent, both registering strong favorability with high “very favorable” intensities (22 percent and 21 percent, respectively).
Meanwhile, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada posted the highest net unfavorable rating at 58 percent, with 39 percent describing him as “very unfavorable,” followed by Ronald dela Rosa at 56 percent, including 44 percent who view him as “very unfavorable.”
According to Publicus Asia Inc., Pahayag is an independent and non-commissioned survey initiative under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.
Web sources however described Publicus Asia as a political consultancy, campaign management, and lobby firm in the Philippines founded in 2003. It was established by Tiquia, a UP political science graduate and Lilibeth Amatong, an experienced information/ education/ communication/ mobilization (IECM) practitioner.
While Tiquia did not support the 2016 presidential run of former President Rodrigo Duterte, she is known as an outspoken supporter of Vice President Sara Duterte.