DAVAO CITY, Philippines?Senator Manny Villar expressed elation at the latest survey showing him statistically tied with Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, saying this showed the presidential race was heating up.

And while the rating of another rival, former president Joseph Estrada, improved in the February 24 to 28 survey of the Social Weather Station, Villar still considered Aquino his formidable opponent in the May 10 polls.

"Masaya ako dun sa survey na ?yon. Pero gayon pa man ay alam namin na kailangan naming magsumikap at magtrabaho pa (I'm happy with that survey. But we know that we still have to work harder)," Villar told reporters here.

"Nangangahulugan na bumibigat na rin ang laban at magiging mainit ang labanang ito (It means that the competition is getting tighter and is heating up)," he said.

The survey, Villar said, only proved that the people were starting to see and understand his intentions as well as his capability to run the country should he get elected in May.

Villar also attributed his good standing in the survey to the Nacionalista Party?s efforts to reach the people by making the rounds in the country.

While he was statistically tied with Aquino, Villar still recorded a one-percent drop to 34 percent compared to the January survey by the same polling firm.

Aquino's drop, however, was more significant from the previous 42 percent to 36 percent.

Villar was unfazed by this one-percent drop, calling it "statistically insignificant."