THE rising prices of commodities, access to affordable food, low wages and generating jobs remain the top urgent national concerns of Filipinos, the July 12 to 17 Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey of OCTA Research showed.
The survey, which involved 1,200 adult respondents nationwide with a margin of error of ±3 percent, showed majority of Filipinos or 50 percent, down from 64 percent in April, consider controlling the rise in prices of basic goods and services or inflation, are the top urgent national concern that the government should address.
Inflation or controlling the prices of commodities has been the top urgent national concern of Filipinos since the March 2022 TNM survey of OCTA Research.
The other top urgent concerns of Filipinos include access to affordable food such as rice, vegetables, and meat at 31 percent (down from 41 percent), improving or increasing wages at 26 percent (down from 37 percent), creating more jobs at 26 percent (down from 30 percent) and reducing poverty at 23 percent (from 28 percent).
Majority of respondents from Mindanao and the National Capital Region (NCR) consider inflation as the top national concern, along with a near majority of respondents from Luzon at 47 percent, while many of those from Visayas consider access to food as the top concern at 46 percent.
Inflation is also the top concern across socio-economic classes, with the highest among Class D at 51 percent, classes ABC and E at 45 percent each.
The other urgent national concerns of Filipinos are the fight against drugs (18 percent); providing free quality education (15 percent); fulfilling the promise to lower the price of rice (14 percent); fighting graft and corruption in government (13 percent); fighting criminality (12 percent); and promoting peace and order in the country (10 percent).
The other concerns are: assisting farmers, including selling their products (9 percent); enforcing the law on all whether influential or ordinary people (8 percent); addressing the problem of involuntary hunger, defending the maritime rights of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (7 percent each); and providing support to small entrepreneurs to restore their businesses (6 percent).
Filipinos are also concerned with stopping the destruction and abuse of environment (5 percent); reducing the amount of taxes paid (4 percent); protecting the welfare of overseas Filipinos, controlling population growth, preparing to successfully face any kind of terrorist threat (3 percent each); and changing the constitution and defending the integrity of Philippine territory against foreigners (2 percent each).
OCTA said the modest improvements in self-rated poverty and hunger in certain areas of the country, along with the decline in urgency around some national concerns, “suggest that Filipino families may be starting to experience relief from immediate economic pressures—whether from stabilizing prices, improved food supply, or greater confidence in income opportunities”.
“Nonetheless, the continued prominence of inflation, food affordability, and wages as top concerns underscores their persistent weight on households and reaffirms that economic well-being remains the country’s foremost national priority,” it added.
OCTA also found that the top personal concerns of Filipinos are staying healthy and avoiding illnesses at 63 percent; followed by having enough to eat every day at 47 percent; finishing school or to be able to provide schooling for our children at 46 percent; having a secure and well-paying job or source of income, and avoiding being a victim of any serious crime at 42 percent each.
Other personal concerns are being able to have savings at 35 percent and having their own house and lot at 25 percent.
Staying healthy and avoiding illness are the top personal concerns across geographical areas (62 percent to 67 percent) and socio-economic classes (51 percent to 86 percent).
