MORE than half of Filipinos want the Marcos administration to control inflation, raise the salary of employees, and address poverty, the June 24 to 27 Ulat ng Bayan survey of Pulse Asia showed.
The survey, which involved 1,200 adult respondents with a ± 2.8 percent margin of error, showed that 57 percent said the five most urgent concerns that government should address are controlling inflation, increasing the pay of workers (45 percent), reducing poverty (33 percent), creating more jobs (29 percent) and fighting graft and corruption (20 percent).
Included in the top 10 of urgent national concerns are enforcing the law on all regardless if influential or ordinary people are involved (15 percent); fighting criminality, promoting peace in the country and providing assistance or subsidy to those who lost their livelihood or jobs due to the coronavirus disease pandemic (14 percent each); and addressing involuntary hunger (12 percent).
Other public concerns are reducing the amount of taxes paid (9 percent); stopping environmental destruction and abuse, supporting the restoration of small businesses, defending Philippine territory against foreigners (7 percent each); protecting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (5 percent), and preparing against terrorism (3 percent).
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said inflation was one of the topics discussed in last week’s Cabinet meeting, adding President Marcos and his Cabinet agreed that it should be one of the major problems that should be addressed immediately.
Pulse Asia found that, except for Luzon (46 percent) and class ABC (48 percent), a small majority across geographic areas (62 percent to 69 percent) and socio-economic groupings (58 percent to 62 percent) considers controlling inflation and increasing employees’ pay as among the top three national concerns that should be immediately addressed by the government.
Inflation is the most urgent national concern among Mindanao respondents (69 percent), followed by those from Metro Manila (67 percent), the Visayas (62 percent), and among the class E (62 percent), followed by Class d (58 percent).
Pulse Asia said there were no changes in the top five urgent concerns of the public from March 2022 to June 2022, though it found a slight decline in the levels of public concern.
In March, the top five concerns were controlling inflation (58 percent), increasing the pay of workers (43 percent), reducing poverty (31 percent), creating more jobs (31 percent) and fighting graft and corruption (26 percent).
The rest of the top 10 concerns in the first quarter were providing assistance or subsidy to those who lost their livelihood or jobs due to the coronavirus disease pandemic (19 percent); addressing involuntary hunger (18 percent); enforcing the law on all regardless if influential or ordinary people are involved (13 percent); fighting criminality (12 percent); and promoting peace in the country and stopping environmental destruction and abuse (10 percent each).
