THE OFFICE of the President earned a very low level of trust and confidence among Davaoeños, with only 10.9% expressed much trust, while 30.4% reported little trust, and half of the respondents (50%) expressed no trust at all, with 8.7% undecided, the University of Mindanao–Institute of Popular Opinion (UM-IPO) survey revealed.
This translates to a new trust score of -39.10%, reflecting widespread public skepticism. The Office of the President also registered a high confidence deficit of 69.5%, suggesting that nearly 7 out of 10 Davaoeños have very low confidence in its performance.
When asked the same question, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) enjoys very high public trust and confidence among Davaoeños. About 71.7% expressed much trust, 17.4% reported little trust, and only 2.2% expressed no trust, while 8.7% remained undecided.
This corresponds to a strong net score of 69.5%, indicating that roughly 7 out of 10 Davaoeños approve of the OVP`s performance. Confidence in the OVP is equally high, reflected by a 0% confidence deficit showing near-universal public assurance in its leadership.
The UM-IPO conducted an online survey from January 9-26, 2026, targeting 1,200 Davaoeños from the three districts of Davao City to assess their trust towards the two highest government offices in the country – the Office of the President (OP) and the Office of the Vice President (OVP). The coverage of the survey asks whether they express much, little, or no trust or are undecided in their performances.
Since the survey was done online via sponsored ads on three Meta platforms (Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram), IPO relied heavily on online, pre-defined, targeted social media users, such as Davaoeños, who met the inclusion criteria and are targeted for contact within the defined geographical radius. Respondents were defined to be at least 18 years old, have valid/ active email addresses and have resided in any district in Davao City. The survey was done at a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error.
The results reveal a sharp contrast between the two offices. The Office of the Vice President enjoys broad public trust and confidence, whereas the Office of the President faces significant distrust and a pronounced confidence deficit.
