MANILA - A Palace spokesman on Friday praised the increase in President Rodrigo Duterte's trust rating in the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

Duterte's trust rating rose 15 percent in the last quarter of 2017, with an "excellent" net trust rating of 75 points, the SWS survey said. He rebounded from his previous quarter's net trust rating of 60 points, the lowest since he became president.

"I think the fact that he has shown that he can exercise political will to defeat terrorists and violent extremists in Marawi; the fact that people's optimism is at all time high'; the fact that manufacturing output is at all time high--so all these indicate that the economy is growing as promised. He has promoted the rule of law against the threat of terrorism and of course he is winning the war on drugs," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

The survey found 83 percent of adult Filipinos with "much trust" and 7 percent with "little" trust in Duterte, while 10 percent said they are "undecided", a change from the 73 percent "much trust," 12 percent "little trust," and 15 percent undecided he got last September.

Roque also credited Duterte's other works like providing free education to students of state colleges and universities.

He added that the law providing for free irrigation which he co-authored is about to take effect.

"This is the first time that an administration has promoted basically pro-people policies, including free health care, free education and free feeding for malnourished children," he said.