Metro Manila, Philippines — Economic concerns are still the biggest worry of Filipinos, according to an end-of-year survey by Publicus Asia Inc.
The independent and non-commissioned “PAHAYAG” survey conducted from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4 showed economy and inflation are the top concerns on the macroscale for the majority 15% of respondents.
Earlier this month, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the inflation rate continued its slowdown, dropping to 4.1% in November from 4.9% the month before. This brings the average inflation from January to November to 6.2%, still outside the government’s target range of 2% to 4%.
Publicus Asia said corruption and poverty are the next top concerns for Filipinos at 12% and 9%, respectively.
“Notably, Corruption is least concerning to those with No Formal Education at 5%, while Poverty resonates strongly with the 18-24 age group, registering a 17% concern,” the Manila-based political consultancy firm wrote in a release on Wednesday.
Results also showed that education, agriculture, and wages are also pressing issues among the public, garnering 6% each.
At the micro-level, Publicus Asia found that difficulty in finding employment is the biggest concern with 14%
Affordability of basic needs and the fear of unemployment came next at 12%.
The fear of not receiving adequate pay got 11%, “resonating strongly with the 25-29 age group (18%) and government workers (17%),” the firm added.
The survey further found that 9 out of 10 respondents worry about crimes and the use of illegal drugs in their communities.
Publicus Asia said 1,500 registered voters participated in the survey. They were randomly drawn from a market research panel of over 200,000 Filipinos maintained by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace.
