By Filane Mikee Cervantes | Philippine News Agency
A new survey conducted by OCTA Research revealed that 38% of adult Filipinos now identify as pro-Marcos, showing a steady rise in support for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his administration.
This figure, from the third-quarter Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey conducted between Aug. 28 and Sept. 2, 2024, represents a 2% increase compared to the previous survey conducted in June, underscoring a continuing upward trend in pro-Marcos sentiment throughout 2024.
“While the findings indicate a nominal change at the national level for the 3rd quarter, analyzing the data for the last three quarters of 2024 would suggest a continuing upward trend in preference since the first quarter of 2024,” OCTA said.
The survey showed that only 7% of adult Filipinos support the opposition, a slight increase from 5% in the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, only 15% of Filipinos continue to support the Duterte family and their political allies, identifying themselves as pro-Duterte.
This indicates a one-percentage-point drop from the previous quarter and a continued downward trajectory throughout 2024.
“Although this decline falls within the margin of error, a continuing downward trend has been evident since the first quarter of the TNM survey,” OCTA said.
In addition, 26% of respondents identified as politically independent, marking a five-percentage-point decline from the second quarter.
The remaining 14% of adult Filipino respondents are ambivalent about their political preferences.
Across the country, the Marcos administration enjoys strong backing, especially in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, where 42% and 43% of respondents, respectively, identify as pro-Marcos.
The Visayas also saw an upward shift, with pro-Marcos sentiment rising by five percentage points to 37%, while Mindanao recorded a stable 25% support rate.
In terms of socioeconomic classes, support surged from 25% in the previous quarter to 40% among those belonging to Class E.
Older age groups, particularly those aged 45 and above, continue to back the President, with 48% of respondents in the 45-54 age bracket expressing support, 43% from the 55 to 64 age bracket, 38% from the 64 to 74 age bracket, and 40% from 75 and above.
As for pro-Dutertes, Mindanao remains the strongest region for Duterte’s political influence, with 48% of respondents identifying as pro-Duterte.
However, the survey revealed sharp declines in other regions, with only 6% of respondents in Metro Manila and 3% in Balance Luzon showing support for the Duterte camp.
Socioeconomic Class E, a traditional stronghold for Duterte, saw an 11-percentage-point drop in support, from 33% to 22%.
The highest support for opposition groups was in the Visayas at 14%, with a notable 11-percentage-point rise in Class ABC.
Among Filipinos identifying as independent, it was highest in the Visayas at 32% and among Class ABC at 35%.
The survey involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult respondents across the country. The survey has a margin of error of ±3% at the national level.
The survey results are non-commissioned and focus on the political preferences of adult Filipinos.