The House of Representatives earned improved marks from Filipinos in the second quarter of 2026, even as the Senate lost standing on both trust and satisfaction, the newest OCTA Research “Tugon ng Masa” survey found.
For the lower chamber, the share of adults expressing trust climbed to 38 percent from 36 percent in the opening quarter, while those who said they distrusted it dropped to 28 percent from 33 percent. Approval of how the House is performing edged up to 37 percent from 35 percent, and disapproval eased to 32 percent from 35 percent.
The Senate moved in the opposite direction over the same stretch. Trust in the upper chamber slid to 41 percent from 44 percent, and distrust climbed to 27 percent from 24 percent. On performance, satisfaction fell to 38 percent from 42 percent, while dissatisfaction rose to 32 percent from 27 percent.
OCTA carried out the fieldwork from July 4 to 11, interviewing 1,200 respondents aged 18 and older in face-to-face sessions across the country. The poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
Looking at the full national picture rather than the quarter-on-quarter shift, the pollster noted that a sizable bloc of Filipinos held no firm view of either chamber. Roughly a third stayed on the fence: 32 percent were undecided on whether to trust the Senate and 30 percent had no clear opinion of its performance, figures that ran even higher for the House at 33 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
Broken down for the Senate, 41 percent of adults voiced trust against 27 percent who did not, while 38 percent were satisfied with its work and 32 percent were not. The House drew trust from 38 percent and distrust from 28 percent, with 37 percent satisfied and 32 percent dissatisfied on the performance question.
The mixed reception for Congress surfaced in a survey period marked by intense political scrutiny, coinciding with the opening days of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, which began on July 6.
