Majority of Pinoys says controlling inflation is most urgent national concern - Pulse Asia

Controlling inflation is the leading urgent national concern for the majority of Filipinos that needs to be addressed, a Pulse Asia survey showed on Tuesday.

''For most adults in the country, one of the issues the incumbent national administration must address immediately is inflation (59%). This is the leading first- and second-ranked urgent national concern (22% and 23%, respectively),''  Pulse Asia said.

''As regards third-ranked responses, the top ones are inflation (14%) and corruption in government (17%),'' it added.

According to Pulse Asia, the second most-often cited urgent national concern is fighting corruption in the government (48%) while in third place is increasing the pay of workers (39%).

These leading issues are followed by a set of urgent national concerns that includes reducing poverty (22%), creating more jobs (19%), fighting criminality (19%), and fighting the widespread sale and use of illegal drugs (18%).

Meanwhile, seven issues comprise another group of responses, namely, enforcing the rule of law (13%), protecting the environment (10%), promoting peace (9%), helping farmers (9%), reducing taxes (8%), responding to the needs of calamity-hit areas (8%), and addressing the problem of involuntary hunger (8%).

The survey results showed that inflation is the only national issue deemed as requiring the immediate attention of the administration by majorities in each geographic and socioeconomic subgrouping (55% to 66% and 53% to 60%, respectively).

Further, the only other urgent national concerns are corruption in government (63% in Metro Manila and 68% in Class C) and increasing the workers’ pay (55% in Class E).

Out of the 18 issues assessed in December 2025, the national government was able to score only one majority approval rating – 57% on the issue of protecting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

''Comparatively, public evaluation of the administration’s performance is basically unchanged between September 2025 and December 2025,'' Pulse Asia said.

Near majorities are appreciative of the administration’s measures in defending national territorial integrity (43%) and responding to the needs of calamity-hit areas (46%) while big plurality disapproval ratings are recorded on the issues of fighting criminality (41%), reducing taxes (43%), and addressing the problem of involuntary hunger (45%).

The survey fieldwork was conducted from December 12 to 15, 2025 using face-to-face interviews.

This nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 2.8% error margin at the 95% confidence level. — BAP, GMA Integrated News