Inflation, corruption still top concerns of Filipinos – Pulse Asia

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March 17, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Even before oil prices surged due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, inflation was already the top concern of Filipinos, Pulse Asia’s first quarter survey showed.

As in previous polls, results of the Feb. 27 to March 2 survey released yesterday found that 59 percent of the respondents identified inflation as one of their three most urgent national concerns.

It was followed by fighting graft and corruption, which was selected by 47 percent of the respondents, and increasing the pay of workers, with 36 percent.

Compared to a similar survey in December, Filipinos’ selection of most urgent national concerns hardly changed.

Other issues included reducing poverty (21 percent), creating more jobs (21 percent), fighting the widespread sale and use of illegal drugs (21 percent), fighting criminality (17 percent), providing assistance to farmers (14 percent), equal enforcement of the law (11 percent) and addressing hunger (10 percent).

The remaining issues were selected by less than 10 percent of the respondents.

These included stopping the destruction of the environment, promoting peace, responding to areas affected by calamities, reducing taxes, providing support to small entrepreneurs, protecting overseas Filipino workers, defending the integrity of Philippine territory and preparing to face any kind of terrorism.

The survey was conducted just as the United States and Israel initiated joint strikes against Iran. The escalation of the conflict drove oil prices higher and is expected to affect other basic commodities.

The survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus 2.8 percent.