MANILA (UPDATE)—A majority of Filipinos remained satisfied with President Rodrigo Duterte's performance as chief executive, results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Wednesday showed.

Duterte's net satisfaction rating went up from plus-60 in December to plus-66 in the first quarter of the year, still in the "very good" range.

The survey found that 79 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte's performance, while only 13 percent was dissatisfied. The other 8 percent, meanwhile, was undecided.

This represents a 5-point increase from 74 percent gross satisfaction in December, while dissatisfaction fell by 2 percentage points from 15 percent.

Duterte's plus-66 score ties a personal high he set in June 2017.

• SWS: Net satisfaction with Duterte hits record high

SWS attributed the rise in Duterte's net satisfaction rating to increases in his rating across Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and Visayas, where he maintained his "very good" rating.

Duterte, who hails from Davao City, maintained his "excellent" rating in Mindanao, with a new record-high plus-88 score in March 2019, up by 15 points from his plus-73 in December 2018.

He also enjoyed an increase in his satisfaction rating in all socio-economic classes and in all age groups.

In social classes A, B, and C, Duterte set a record-high plus-69 score, a 7-point increase from his plus-62 "very good" rating in December 2018.

He also set a record-high plus-68 score from class D or the "masa" (masses) class, up 10 points from his plus-58 rating in December 2018.

Duterte's satisfaction rating remained "very good" in class E, although his plus-58 score in March went down by 7 points from his plus-65 rating in December.

The first quarter survey, conducted from March 28 to 31, 2019, was done using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults nationwide and has a plus/minus 2.6-percent margin of error for national percentages.

REPUDIATION OF CRITICS

Malacañang said the message of the survey is that "the more the critics and detractors malign PRRD, the higher the rating he gets."

"These political adversaries are being swallowed by their own hubris. Survey after survey they are being repudiated. They appear to be ensconced if not entangled in their own web of lies that they cannot unshackle themselves from it," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement on Thursday.

The opposition has been "deaf to the voice of a great majority of our people and blind to the sweeping changes in the political and social landscape" effected by Duterte, he said.

Panelo said these critics "should join the majority supporting administration's programs" instead of pursuing a "hate campaign" against President.

"President Duterte is racing against time to fulfill his campaign promise of slaying the dragon of illegal drugs, criminality, corruption and rebellion, as well as providing the people with a comfortable life under a reign of peace during his term," he said.

"No negative force will detract him from his goal of liberating the people from the causes that enslave them and stunt the growth of the country."

That people across geographical areas tally high ratings means that they "see his sincerity in realizing his sacred vow to the electorate and witness the tangible results of his people-centered decisions and decisive actions that foster genuine and positive change."

"Destiny has placed this President at the helm of this troubled land, so it is his destiny to remove it from its distress and lead it to a state of peace and progress," said Panelo.