Go, Poe get top approval marks

SENS. Bong Go and Grace Poe have emerged as the most highly approved lawmakers in the 19th Congress, securing the highest satisfaction ratings and the lowest dissatisfaction scores among their peers, according to a nationwide survey by the research firm Tangere.

Go, known for his push for health care and disaster resilience programs, achieved a +60.8 percent net satisfaction rating, the highest in the Senate. His strongest support came from the Visayas and Mindanao, regions that have benefited from his Malasakit Centers and infrastructure initiatives.

Close behind is Poe with a +58.7 percent net satisfaction rating, buoyed by her advocacy for consumer rights and transportation reforms.

Poe's highest approval came from Luzon, particularly urban areas where her legislative work on public utility modernization has resonated.

Trailing far behind are Sens. Joel Villanueva (+49.1 percent), Loren Legarda (+47.2 percent), and Sherwin Gatchalian (+47.2 percent), while Senate President Francis Escudero ranked 8th with +30.9 percent, dragged down by significant dissatisfaction in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Among reelectionist senators, only Sens. Pia Cayetano (+34.1 percent) and Francis Tolentino (+30.8%) cracked the Top 10.

Meanwhile, high-profile names like Sens. Ronald Dela Rosa, Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, and Imee Marcos languished in the bottom half, signaling lukewarm public sentiment despite their visibility.

The survey also revealed the most disliked senators, with Sen. Cynthia Villar taking the unenviable top spot — nearly 1 in 3 Filipinos expressed dissatisfaction with her performance, particularly in Northern and Central Luzon. Her son, Sen. Mark Villar, and action star-turned-lawmaker Robinhood Padilla followed closely, facing a backlash over perceived underperformance and controversial statements.

Conducted May 2-3, 2025, the mobile-based survey polled 1,800 respondents nationwide with a ±2.2 percent margin of error. The sample was stratified across regions: 12 percent NCR, 23 percent Northern Luzon, 22 percent Southern Luzon, 20 percent Visayas, and 23 percent Mindanao.

Tangere is a Comelec-accredited research firm and member of the Marketing and Opinion Research Society of the Philippines, European Society for Opinion and Market Research, and the Philippine Association of National Advertisers.