Public trust in Senate and House down at end-2025, survey shows

PUBLIC TRUST in the Senate and House of Representatives among other agencies weakened at the end of 2025, a nationwide survey found, reflecting Filipinos’ concerns over governance and responsiveness of the Legislature.

The PAHAYAG 2025 End-of-the-Year Survey reported trust in the Senate slipped to 31%, with 57% expressing low or no trust at all. Similarly, 38% of the 1,500 respondents expressed low or no trust, while 34% showed moderate trust in the House of Representatives.

Approval of the Senate also declined to 24% from 28% in the previous quarter, while approval of the House of Representatives edged down to 20% from 21%.

The year-end survey, conducted from Dec. 7-10, also found a broad list of agencies saw declining trust, with only the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) experiencing a “significant recovery” in trust and approval.

The DPWH was the sole gainer among government agencies, with public approval for the department rising to 16% from 12%, and trust climbing to 10% from 8%. The report attributed this improvement to a “growing confidence in the department’s ongoing infrastructure and flood control programs under Secretary Vince Dizon.”

“This recovery, alongside a similar gain for the Commission on Audit (31% to 35%), credited for its active role in auditing government officials and agencies, offers a rare glimmer of positive public sentiment in an otherwise challenging quarter for many institutions,” the report noted.

Approval ratings for most government agencies were broadly stable, but several institutions tied to economic management, public services and governance recorded declines.

Approval ratings fell for the Department of Health (44% from 49%), Department of Trade and Industry (34% from 42%), Department of Transportation (37% from 42%), Department of Agrarian Reform (35% from 38%), Depart-ment of Finance (26% from 30%) and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (31% from 35%), the survey showed.

“While most agencies maintain stable approval, public perception highlights gaps in performance, particularly among agencies directly linked to governance, economic management, and legislative functions,” the report read.

“The DPWH’s recovery stands out as a model of how leadership and visible results can translate into public confidence.”

The PAHAYAG survey was independently conducted and not commissioned by any political group. PAHAYAG is a corporate social responsibility initiative of PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc., with Vox Opinion Research serving as its research arm.

BAD YEAR

In a separate survey, more than two in three Filipinos claimed 2025 was a bad year for both their families and the country due to the ongoing corruption scandal as well as the calamities that hit the disaster-prone nation.

In a non-commissioned survey, conducted from Dec. 30- Jan. 2, Tangere found that 67% of 1,800 respondents perceived 2025 as a year of adversity, with the highest levels of hardships seen among those from Mindanao (71%), the Visayas (70%) and Northern Luzon (69%).

This was also most heavily felt by respondents in socio-economic Class D (70%), which accounted for nearly 90% of the population.

Despite this, about 78% of Filipinos express optimism about the year ahead. “The prevailing positive outlook is contingent upon tangible improvements in Philippine governance and a more robust stance against corruption,” the report said. — CMAH with CAT