By el Amigo
MANILA, Philippines — Rising prices of goods and services remain the biggest concern among Filipinos, while concerns over graft and corruption have significantly increased, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa survey conducted by OCTA Research.
The nationwide survey, conducted from July 4 to 11, found that 37% of adult Filipinos consider controlling inflation and the rising cost of basic commodities as the government’s most urgent priority. Although this marks an eight-percentage-point decline from the 45% recorded in March, inflation continues to rank as the country’s top concern.
Improving workers’ wages and salaries came in second, cited by 34% of respondents, reflecting continued public focus on economic and cost-of-living issues.
Meanwhile, fighting corruption in government rose to third place, with 32% of respondents identifying it as an urgent national issue, up from 26% in the previous quarter. OCTA noted that the increase suggests growing public concern over transparency, accountability and integrity in public service.
Other major concerns identified in the survey include access to affordable food such as rice, vegetables and meat (24%), and providing free quality education (22%). Concern over poverty reduction dropped sharply to 12%, the lowest level recorded since the survey series began.
Additional issues cited by respondents were combating illegal drugs (16%), fulfilling promises to lower rice prices (14%), generating more employment opportunities (14%), extending assistance to poor families (10%), and reducing taxes (10%).
On a personal level, staying healthy and avoiding illness remained the top priority for Filipinos at 65%, followed by having enough food every day (47%). Having savings and securing a stable, well-paying job were both cited by 41% of respondents.
Education also remained important, with 38% prioritising completing their schooling or supporting their children’s education. Owning a house and lot (36%) and avoiding becoming a victim of serious crime (32%) also ranked among Filipinos’ leading personal concerns.
OCTA said the survey was conducted during a period of significant political and economic developments, including the opening of the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the arrest of Senator Rodante Marcoleta on plunder charges, rising fuel and electricity costs, and the release of the June inflation report.
While the research firm acknowledged that heightened media attention on governance issues may have influenced public sentiment, it stressed that the survey does not establish direct causal links between current events and respondents’ views.
The independent and non-commissioned survey interviewed 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and above through face-to-face interviews nationwide. It has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
