Prices, Economic Concerns Should Be Marcos Jr.’s Priorities - Pulse Asia survey

Bongbong Marcos Facebook page

By Pulse Asia

Amidst the spiraling cost of basic commodities, a small majority of Filipino adults (57%) say the new national administration must immediately take steps to control inflation. This is the leading first-ranked national concern (29%) and is deemed urgent by small to considerable majorities across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings (62% to 69% and 58% to 62%, respectively), with the rest of Luzon and Class ABC being the exceptions (46% and 48%, respectively). Meanwhile, almost half of Filipino adults (45%) are concerned about the need to increase the pay of workers while a third set of urgent national concerns includes reducing poverty (33%) and creating more jobs (29%). Urgency about the need to combat corruption is expressed by 20%. (Please refer to Tables 1 and 2.)

Table 1
MOST URGENT NATIONAL CONCERNS

June 24 - 27, 2022 / Philippines
(In Percent / Multiple Response, up to 3 allowed)

In contrast, after more than two (2) years since the first national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, only 7% of Filipino adults now say it is urgent for the present dispensation to control the spread of COVID-19. Other issues each identified as urgent by less than 10% of the adult population are those related to taxes (9%), environmental degradation (7%), support for the restoration of small businesses (7%), national territorial defense (7%), welfare of overseas Filipino workers (5%), and terrorism (3%).

Inflation is the most urgent national concern of Metro Manilans (67%), Mindanawons (69%), and those belonging to Class D and E (58% and 62%, respectively). In contrast, those residing in the rest of Luzon and the Visayas are most concerned about inflation (46% and 62%, respectively) and workers’ pay (43% and 52%, respectively) while the leading national concerns in Class ABC are inflation (48%), workers’ pay (43%), and poverty (31%). (Please refer to Table 2.)

Table 2
MOST URGENT NATIONAL CONCERNS: OVERALL

June 24 - 27, 2022 / Philippines
(In Percent / Multiple Response, up to 3 allowed)

From March 2022 to June 2022, the only notable changes in public opinion regarding urgent national concerns are the decline in the levels of public concern about helping those who lost their source of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic (-5 percentage points), fighting graft and corruption in government (-6 percentage points), and resolving the problem of involuntary hunger (-6 percentage points). (Please refer to Table3.)

Table 3
MOST URGENT NATIONAL CONCERNS

March and June 2022 / Philippines
(In Percent / Multiple Response, up to 3 allowed)

Dealing with inflation should be the priority of the new president, say 38.4% of Filipinos

For more than a third of the country’s adult population (38.4%), the new president must prioritize dealing with the rising prices of basic goods. This is the top response in all areas (34.6% to 47.2%) and Classes D and E (38.4% and 52.3%, respectively). For those in Class ABC, the priorities of the new president should be providing jobs or other sources of income (30.7%), controlling inflation (26.3%), and addressing issues concerning the agricultural sector (14.2%). (Please refer to Table 4.)

At the national level, aside from inflation, the only other priority issues each cited by at least 5.0% of Filipino adults are providing jobs to the poor (19.7%), addressing the concerns of the agricultural sector (8.8%), increasing workers’ pay (6.8%), and reducing poverty and extending greater assistance to the poor (5.1%).

Table 4
PRIORITY ISSUE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT FERDINAND "BONGBONG" MARCOS JR.

June 24 - 27, 2022 / Philippines
(In Percent / OPEN-ENDED / SUMMARY)

Part 1 of 2

Table 4
PRIORITY ISSUE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT FERDINAND "BONGBONG" MARCOS JR.

June 24 - 27, 2022 / Philippines
(In Percent / OPEN-ENDED / SUMMARY)

Part 2 of 2