President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.'s public satisfaction rating fell in September as a growing share of Filipinos voiced dissatisfaction with his performance, reversing part of the gains recorded three months earlier, according to pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The President's net satisfaction rating declined four points to -11 from -7 in June, returning to the "poor" category after briefly improving to "neutral," SWS said in a statement on Thursday. SWS sorts net satisfaction scores into bands ranging from "excellent" at +70 and above to "execrable" at -70 and below, with scores from -10 to -29 classified as "poor" and those from +9 to -9 as "neutral."

The Sept. 21-27 survey found that 35% of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Mr. Marcos' performance, down from 38% in June, while 46% were dissatisfied, compared with 45% previously. The share of undecided respondents rose to 20% from 17%.

Net satisfaction is computed by subtracting the percentage of dissatisfied respondents from the percentage of satisfied respondents. Quarterly readings of this gauge are widely tracked as a barometer of public sentiment toward a sitting Philippine president, and SWS breaks the results down by area, urbanity, age and education to show where support is shifting.

Despite the drop, the latest figure remains above Mr. Marcos' record low of -15 in March, when 49% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with his performance.

Public satisfaction weakened across most major regions, with the steepest decline recorded in Luzon outside the capital. The President's net satisfaction rating in the rest of Luzon fell 11 points to zero, while the Visayas posted a 10-point decline to -13. Metro Manila's rating slipped three points to -27.

Mindanao was the only major region where the President's rating improved, rising 14 points to -21.

The rating among urban residents dropped eight points to -20, while rural respondents gave Mr. Marcos a net satisfaction score of +1, up three points.

Filipinos aged 35 to 44 registered the sharpest decline among age groups, with their rating falling 16 points to -19. College graduates also reported weaker satisfaction, with their rating dropping 15 points to -34.

The survey separately found that fewer Filipinos believed Mr. Marcos' description of the country's condition in his July 27 State of the Nation Address, the President's annual address to Congress on the state of the nation.

Among respondents familiar with the speech, 26% considered his description believable, while 37% found it unbelievable. Another 37% said the believable and unbelievable portions were equal. The resulting net believability score fell eight points to -11 from -3 in September 2025.

Social media was the leading source of information about the speech, with 27% of respondents saying they watched it on digital platforms.

SWS interviewed 1,500 adults nationwide through face-to-face interviews. The survey had a national margin of error of ±3 percentage points. The polling organization said it conducted the survey on its own initiative, meaning it was not commissioned by an outside party. SWS conducts these national surveys quarterly, making the next round the next scheduled reading of the President's standing.

Source: BusinessWorld