OCTA survey: 76% of Filipinos committed to defending PH territory, WPS

Around 76% of adult Filipinos said they are willing to support the government in defending the country’s territory and sovereign rights including in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), an OCTA Research survey showed.

Released on Monday, the Q1 2026 Tugon ng Masa survey found that only 7% disagreed with the statement:

“I love my country, and I am committed to support the government in defending its territory and asserting sovereign rights, including over the West Philippine Sea.”

Support was highest in the National Capital Region at 83% and Balance Luzon at 77%. The Visayas posted the lowest agreement among major areas at 68%, followed by Mindanao with 75%.

Among regions, MIMAROPA registered the highest support at 93%, followed by Caraga at 91% and Western Visayas at 90%. Central Visayas had the lowest agreement rate at 45%.

“Agreement ranges from a high of 93% in MIMAROPA to a low of 45% in Central Visayas — a 48-point gap that reveals significant regional variation beneath the national headline,” OCTA said.

OCTA noted that the Davao Region recorded one of the lowest agreement rates at 61% and the highest disagreement rate nationwide at 34%.

“The survey's most critical outlier is DavRegion, where disagreement reaches 34%, five times the national average, making it the single most important sub-national finding of the study,” it added.

By educational attainment, vocational graduates registered the highest agreement at 85%, followed by college and postgraduate respondents at 80%.

Filipinos aged 35 to 44 showed the highest support at 80%, while those aged 45 to 54 posted the lowest at 71%.

“Agreement rises with educational attainment, peaking among vocational graduates (85%) and college-educated Filipinos (80%),” OCTA said.

“Conversely, middle-aged Filipinos aged 45 to 54 record the lowest agreement at 71% — suggesting that those with the most to lose economically weigh the costs of conflict more heavily and may require targeted civic communication,” it added.

By socioeconomic class, support for territorial defense was highest among Classes ABC and D at 76%, while Class E respondents posted 71%.

“Support for territorial defense is not concentrated among the educated or affluent. Class D — which comprises 75% of the Filipino population — mirrors the national average exactly at 76%,” OCTA said.

“Rural Filipinos (76%) match their urban counterparts (75%) almost perfectly. This confirms that the patriotic sentiment is deeply rooted in the mass base of Filipino society,” it added.

The survey was commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

It was conducted from March 19 to 25 using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above nationwide.

The survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have margins of error of ±6% for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, also at a 95% confidence level. — RSJ, GMA News