The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives continued to outperform the Senate in both trust and performance ratings, according to the latest “Boses ng Bayan” nationwide survey. The survey, conducted by the RPMD Foundation Inc. from May 20 to 25, 2026, sampled 2,500 randomly selected respondents across socio-economic classes nationwide, with a plus or minus 2 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level. Results showed that the House sustained a significantly higher public confidence level, posting an Index of Governance (IOG) of 62.2 percent, composed of a 61.8 percent trust rating and a 62.7 percent performance rating. Respondents cited institutional stability, coordination among lawmakers, faster passage of measures, and visible constituency-based programs as key factors behind the chamber’s stronger ratings, even amid continued economic and political pressures. Speaker Faustino Dy III registered an IOG score of 58.1 percent, marking an increase of 3.1 percentage points from RPMD’s April 2026 survey. His trust rating rose to 57.5 percent from 54 percent, while his performance rating climbed to 58.8 percent from 56 percent. Participants in the survey described the House leadership under Dy as more organized and focused on legislative output and governance priorities, particularly on issues involving inflation, infrastructure, public services, and economic uncertainty. In contrast, the Senate recorded a significantly lower public confidence level, with an IOG of 36.1 percent, composed of a 35.4 percent trust rating and a 36.8 percent performance rating. The survey attributed the lower scores to public dissatisfaction linked to recent controversies, internal divisions, leadership tensions, and high-profile political exchanges that have dominated public discourse in recent weeks. Open-ended responses indicated that many participants viewed the Senate as increasingly preoccupied with political confrontation and personality-driven debates rather than urgent policy concerns. Some respondents described the chamber as struggling with cohesion and focus amid ongoing national issues. The Senate leadership under Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano received similarly weak ratings, registering a 34.2 percent IOG, with trust at 33.9 percent and performance at 34.6 percent. Under Cayetano, respondents cited perceptions of division, politicization, and institutional inefficiency, particularly in relation to inflation, corruption concerns, fuel prices, healthcare, and broader economic pressures. Dr. Paul Martinez, executive director of RPMD Foundation Inc. and a political analyst, said the findings reflected a shift in public preference toward institutions seen as more stable and service-oriented. “Members of the House of Representatives are more directly connected and accountable to their districts, while the Senate has increasingly been associated with political conflict and public confrontation,” said Paul Martinez. He added that public patience for political theatrics was waning as households continued to face inflation and rising costs of basic goods, with voters increasingly demanding more concrete and consistent governance outcomes.
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