Controlling inflation most urgent concern of Filipinos in 1st Quarter — survey

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly half of Filipinos say that controlling inflation is the most urgent national concern in the first quarter of 2026, according to a survey by OCTA Research, In its Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from March 19-25, 45 percent cited inflation, followed by increasing wages of workers at 33 percent, fighting graft and corruption in government at 26 percent, and access to affordable food such as rice, vegetables, and meat at 24 percent. Other concerns include reducing poverty at 20 percent and providing free quality education at 17 percent. However, OCTA noted that the findings reflected household conditions prior to the inflationary effects of the oil price shock due to the war in the Middle East and stated that these findings should be understood as a pre-shock baseline before high costs exerted pressure on household welfare, purchasing power, and food security. Inflation is the highest concern among respondents in the Visayas at 54 percent and Mindanao at 51 percent, as well as socioeconomic class E at 56 percent and ABC at 54 percent. Meanwhile, wages are also among the highest concerns among respondents in the Visayas, National Capital Region and Mindanao, with Visayas respondents the highest at 46 percent. NCR respondents had the highest concern about corruption in government at 36 percent, while Visayas led in food affordability at 32 percent. OCTA said that these results suggested that public sentiment in the first quarter of 2026 were shaped primarily by economic strain and the rising cost of living. "Inflation has once again emerged as the dominant national issue, indicating that day-to-day affordability has become the most immediate pressure facing Filipino households," it said. Meanwhile, 67 percent of respondents said that staying healthy was their most urgent personal concern, followed by having enough to eat daily at 46 percent, having a secure and well-paying job at 42 percent, having savings at 41 pecent, and finishing schooling or being able to provide schooling for children at 39 percent. The survey had 1,200 respondents and has a nationwide margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

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