MAJORITY of Filipinos said they would vote for candidates advocating to keep basic goods and services affordable and improving and reinforcing the healthcare system, the April 10 to 16 survey of OCTA Research showed.
The latest Tugon ng Masa survey, which involved 1,200 adult respondents nationwide with a margin of error of ±3 percent, was released a week before the May 12 midterm elections.
The results showed that the majority of voters or 53 percent want candidates who advocate for the affordability of basic goods and services, while 50 percent said they want those who would push for enhancement and fortification of the healthcare system.
A near majority or 47 percent want candidates to support the strengthening of the agriculture sector and secure a stable food supply.
Voters also want candidates who advocate expanding job opportunities (41 percent); addressing poverty and hunger issues, and illegal drugs (38 percent each); fighting crimes (32 percent); access to equal education (30 percent); and strengthening disaster preparedness and addressing climate change (24 percent).
Filipinos also want candidates who push for ending corruption in government (19 percent); defending Philippine territory, especially in the West Philippine Sea (18 percent); ensuring protection of overseas Filipino workers (14 percent); securing clean and sustainable energy through renewable sources (10 percent); and advocating laws against political dynasties (5 percent).
One percent could not say what they want a candidate to do. OCTAResearch also found that majority from the National Capital Region prefer candidates who want to keep goods and services affordable (66 percent), expand job opportunities (54 percent), and improve and reinforce the healthcare system (63 percent) while majority from Luzon want bets who will improve the healthcare system (53 percent), and keep goods and services affordable (51 percent).
In the Visayas, the majority also want candidates who will improve the healthcare system (55 percent), and keep goods and services affordable (54 percent) while in Mindanao, the majority want bets who will strengthen food supply (62 percent) and fight illegal drugs (56 percent).
For those belonging to the socio-economic classes ABC, the majority want candidates who push for keeping goods and services affordable (59 percent), expanding job opportunities (51 percent), and improving the healthcare system (50 percent).
For Class D, the majority want those who promise to keep goods and services affordable (53 percent), while Class E wants those who promise to improve the healthcare system (53 percent).
OCTAReaserch also found that majority of those belonging to the 25-34 age group want candidates who advocate to keep goods and services affordable (61 percent) and strengthening the agricultural sector and ensure stable food supply (50 percent); while majority of the 35 to 44 years old want bets who promote affordable goods and services (55 percent), strengthening of the agricultural sector and ensuring stable food supply (52 percent) and expanding job opportunities (50 percent).
Majority of the 45-54 age group want candidates who promise to promote affordable goods and services (50 percent); while 55 to 64-year-olds want those who push for the strengthening of the agricultural sector and ensuring stable food supply (54 percent), improving the healthcare system (52 percent), and promoting affordable goods and services (50 percent).
For the majority of the 65- 74 age group, they want candidates who advocate for affordable goods and services (66 percent) and improved healthcare system (55 percent); while majority of those aged 75 and higher want candidates who promise to fight illegal drugs (57 percent) and improve the healthcare system (53 percent).
Many of the 18-24 age group want candidates who push for affordable goods and services, and the strengthening of the agricultural sector and ensuring a stable food supply (43 percent each).
