By DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
A provincial survey has recorded the steepest decline in public satisfaction for Bohol Governor Aris Aumentado and two congressional district representatives in years, with all three officials seeing double-digit drops in their net approval ratings amid growing discontent over bread-and-butter issues, infrastructure gaps, and perceived service delivery failures.
The Holy Name University (HNU) Bohol Poll 2026, conducted from March 28 to April 21, 2026, found that Aris Aumentado’s net satisfaction rating collapsed to +48 from a post-reelection high of +74 in March 2025 — a nearly 30-point plunge that marks the lowest figure recorded for the governor since he first took office in 2022.
His wife, Second District Congresswoman Maria Vanessa Aumentado, posted an identical +46 net rating, down sharply from her own peak of +71 in early 2025.
Third District Congresswoman Alexie Besas Tutor fared only marginally better at +62, continuing a three-year downward slide from her all-time high of +86 in 2023.
DISSATISFACTION AND DECLINE
The simultaneous decline across three of the province’s most prominent elected officials points to an alleged erosion of public confidence in Bohol’s political establishment rather than isolated performance issues, analysts said.
For Aris Aumentado, the collapse is particularly striking given the scale of his 2025 reelection mandate.
The governor, who once commanded a +78 net satisfaction rating in 2024, has seen nearly half of that political capital evaporate within twelve months.
His 95% awareness rating rules out obscurity as a factor, pointing instead to a more critical, results-oriented electorate.
The drop is most pronounced in municipalities, where constituents from the so-called “masa” or Class D sector — the base that powered his previous electoral victories — registered the sharpest declines in satisfaction.
Analysts attributed the shift to persistent issues over food and fish prices, agricultural support, and the cost of utilities.
The 30-39 age group and youth voters also recorded the most significant drop-off, citing anxieties over long-term employment and environmental management.
COLLAPSE IN TANDEM
The Second District congresswoman, known as “Vanvan,” retained near-universal recognition at 93% awareness, but the survey exposed a widening gap between her urban and rural constituents.
She posted a perfect +80 net satisfaction in urban centers, where not a single respondent expressed dissatisfaction.
In rural areas, however, her net rating fell to +43, reflecting deeper frustration among farming and fishing communities.
The socio-economic breakdown showed her strongest support coming from the poorest sector, Class E, at +65, while the middle-to-upper class bracket and Class D respondents gave her lower net scores of +48 and +40, respectively.
The 30-39 age cohort emerged as her weakest demographic, posting a net satisfaction of just +31 — the lowest of any group surveyed.
A significant 35% of respondents across the district identified as “undecided” — neither satisfied nor dissatisfied — suggesting a large segment of the electorate is adopting a wait-and-see posture on her legislative performance rather than expressing outright disapproval.
FADING TUTOR
Tutor’s slide represents the longest sustained decline of the three officials.
After reaching a record +86 in 2023, her net satisfaction has fallen across every subsequent polling cycle, settling at +62 in the latest survey — a cumulative 24-point drop over three years.
While +62 is still rated “Very Good” under HNU’s polling standards, the direction of travel has alarmed local political observers.
Tutor’s most troubling demographic is urban voters, where her net satisfaction has cratered to +20 — a figure dragged down by a 20% outright dissatisfaction rate, far above the district average of 4%.
Among the poorest sector, Class E respondents gave Tutor a net rating of +42, burdened by a 29% dissatisfaction rate — the highest recorded across any demographic in the survey.
She fared significantly better among Class ABC at +69 and Class D at +62.
On generational lines, the results were paradoxical: Tutor posted a perfect +100 net satisfaction among voters aged 18-29, but that enthusiasm faded sharply with older age groups, dropping to +50 among those 60 and above.
The congresswoman maintained a 98% awareness rating — among the highest in the province — but nearly 30% of her district remained undecided on her performance.
END OF HONEYMOON
Analysts and political observers identified several converging factors behind the inevitable decline: the conclusion of the post-election goodwill period following the May 2025 elections, persistent power stability and water supply issues across the province, and a growing demand from voters for tangible outcomes from the current administration’s policy agenda.
For the Aumentado political dynasty in particular, the simultaneous drop in both the governor’s and congresswoman’s ratings underscores the political risks of governing under elevated public expectations set during an electoral sweep.
The “Abante Bohol” development agenda now faces its most rigorous public test.
Despite the declines, all three officials’ ratings remain within positive territory under HNU’s classification system, with +46 and above considered “Good” and +62 classified as “Very Good.”
However, it is the velocity and consistency of the drop — not the absolute figures — that has political circles in the province on notice as Bohol moves into the second half of 2026.