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Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star
January 6, 2026 | 12:00am
This handout photo taken on March 23, 2024 and released by the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (PCG/BFAR) on March 25, 2024 shows an aerial view of BRP Datu Pagbuaya as it sails from the Philippine-held Thitu Island sheltered port, in the Spratly Islands, in the disputed South China Sea.
Photo by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard / AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Most Filipinos want the Marcos administration to work with the United States and other like-minded international partners to assert national interests in the West Philippine Sea, a Pulse Asia survey found.
The Dec. 12 to 15 survey, commissioned by the Stratbase Group, asked respondents which countries or organizations they trust and think the Philippine government “should work with in asserting our rights and protecting our national interest in the Philippine seas.”
The respondents were allowed to select up to five countries. The United States topped the list with 82 percent.
It was followed by Japan with 64 percent, Canada with 58 percent and Australia with 51 percent.
South Korea was selected by 37 percent of the respondents, followed by the United Kingdom with 33 percent and European Union with 27 percent.
At the bottom of the list were Taiwan (12 percent), China (11 percent) and India (four percent).
“The sentiment is very clear,” Stratbase president Dindo Manhit said. “Filipinos know who is violating our rights, and they know who our friends are. What is happening in the West Philippine Sea affects our fishermen, our food supply and our national dignity.”
He said the Philippine government must stand firm and work closely with countries that share a commitment to peace and a rules-based order.
“China’s actions reflect a clear pattern of behavior that puts their expansionist interests above our rights and regional stability. We must not normalize or tolerate these repeated violations,” he added.
Pulse Asia’s fourth quarter survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus 2.8 percent.
