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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
May 1, 2026 | 6:02pm
Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra and other officials hold a special joint price and supply monitoring of commodities, as they visit stalls selling meat and vegetables inside the Commonwealth Market in Quezon City on March 2, 2026.
The STAR / Miguel de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — Most Filipinos want the government to focus on jobs, wages, and the cost of living, according to two independent surveys conducted in March.
OCTA Research's Tugon ng Masa poll found that 45% of respondents identified inflation or the rising prices of goods as the most urgent national issue. WR Numero's Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, released Friday, May 1, found that 63% of respondents picked job creation and livelihood as a top government priority, while 49% chose increasing workers' wages.
Both surveys were conducted through face-to-face interviews during the same month, with OCTA from March 19 to 25, and WR Numero from March 10 to 17.
Wages and purchasing power
In OCTA's survey, wages ranked as a major concern but fell behind inflation. The survey firm said Filipinos are now "more concerned with what their income can buy than with wages alone."
WR Numero's results showed a sharp spike in concern over employment. The share of respondents who picked jobs and livelihood as a priority rose 41 percentage points from November 2025. Wages jumped 15 points over the same period. Lowering prices of basic goods was cited by 26%.
Corruption persists as a concern
Concern over graft registered in both polls. In OCTA's survey, 26% named corruption a top national issue, down slightly from the previous quarter. In WR Numero's, 32% picked combating corruption and wrongdoing in government.
WR Numero's survey also asked about a wider range of issues. Fighting illegal drugs was cited by 40% of respondents, followed by fighting crime at 14%, combating poverty at 12% and fair law enforcement at 10%. Smaller shares flagged reducing taxes, disaster preparedness, OFW protection and legalizing same-sex marriage.
Different questions, similar picture
The two firms used different approaches. OCTA asked respondents to identify the single most urgent national concern. WR Numero provided a list and allowed respondents to choose up to three priorities.
But across both, economic issues dominated.
OCTA noted that its first-quarter results reflect a "pre-shock baseline," gathered before the full impact of the Middle East oil price shock on consumer prices. The firm suggested inflation concerns could rise further in the coming months.
OCTA surveyed 1,200 respondents with a margin of error of ±3%. WR Numero surveyed 1,455 respondents, also at ±3%. Both used a 95% confidence level.
— Cristina Chi
