MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's net satisfaction ratings went back to "very good" in the third quarter of 2018, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released Saturday.

This, after the President recorded his lowest net satisfaction rating of "good" in the second quarter of 2018.

The survey, conducted from September 15 to 23, found that 70 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte's performance, five points higher from his June 2018 gross satisfaction rating of 65 percent.

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This is equivalent to a +54 net satisfaction rating from Duterte's +45 rating last June.

The 9-point increase brought back Duterte's net satisfaction rating from "good" to "very good."

The September survey also asked respondents whether they thought some of the President's pronouncements were bastos (vulgar) or not.

An overwhelming 83 percent of respondents said Duterte's "God is stupid" remark was vulgar, while 14 percent said it was not.

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The President had made the comment in June, questioning the story of creation in the Bible.

Meanwhile, only 63 percent of respondents found Duterte's remarks about beautiful women and rape cases in Davao City vulgar, while 33 percent said they were not.

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The proportion of those who said Duterte's "God is stupid" comment was vulgar was highest in the Visayas at 87 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 86 percent, Metro Manila at 83 percent, and Mindanao at 73 percent.

On the other hand, those who said Duterte's comment about beautiful women and rape cases in Davao was vulgar was highest in the Visayas at 74 percent, followed by Mindanao at 61 percent, Balance Luzon at 61 percent, and Metro Manila at 54 percent.

NET SATISFACTION UP IN ALL AREAS

The 9-point increase in Duterte's net satisfaction rating was due to the 16-point increase in Balance Luzon, the 2-point increase in Visayas, 1-point increase in Metro Manila, and 1-point increase in Mindanao.

In Balance Luzon, Duterte's net satisfaction rating stayed "good" at +49, up 16 points from +33 in June.

It also stayed "good" both in the Visayas at +49 and in Manila at +36.

Duterte maintained his "excellent" rating in Mindanao at +77, up by 1-point from June's +76.

GREATER DISSATISFACTION IN URBAN AREAS

Net satisfaction with the President rose both in rural and urban areas, results of the survey showed.

Urban net satisfaction with Duterte stayed "good" at +42 in September, up by 4 points from June's +38.

Rural net satisfaction, on the other hand, stayed "very good," at +62, up by 10 points from +52 in June.

Among social classes, Duterte's net satisfaction rating in class D improved, going a notch higher to "very good" from "good" in class D or the "masa" sector at +56, up by 13 points from +43 in June.

However, his net satisfaction fell from "very good" to "good" in classes A, B, and C, with a 25-point decline from June's +66 to September's +41 rating.

It also fell from "very good" to "good" in class E, with +45 in September, 7 points down June's +52 rating.

NET SATISFACTION UP IN BOTH SEXES, MOST AGE GROUPS

The President's net satisfaction rating also rose from "good" to "very good" among both men and women.

Seventy percent of men, or +55 expressed satisfaction with Duterte, while 69 percent of women, or +53, shared the same sentiment.

The satisfaction rating among men rose by 9 points from June's +46, while it rose 8 points among women from +45 in June.

Duterte's satisfaction rating also rose from "good" to "very good" among 25 to 34 year olds, 35 to 44 year-olds, 45 to 54 year olds, and 55 years old and older.

However, his rating fell from "very good" to "good" among 18 to 24 year olds at +49 in September, down 1-point from June's +50.

The third quarter poll was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults nationwide and has a sampling margin of error of +/- three percent for national percentages, +/- four percent for Balance Luzon and +/- six percent each for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.