OCTA Research: Inflation remains top national priority of Filipinos; staying healthy top personal concern

Inflation remains the top national priority for Filipinos while staying health and avoiding illness are top personal concerns in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) nationwide survey.

Inflation is the top concern of adult Filipinos even though there was a decline in the proportion identifying it as the country's most urgent issue.

"The percentage of respondents citing controlling the increase in the prices of basic goods and services fell by 8 percentage points, from 45% in March 2026 to 37% in July 2026. Even with this decline, inflation continued to rank as the number one national concern, underscoring the continued importance of cost-of-living issues to Filipino households," according to the study.

"Meanwhile, concern over improving or increasing the wages and salaries of workers remained relatively stable, increasing slightly from 33% to 34%, making it the second most urgent national concern. Together, these findings suggest that economic and cost-of-living issues continue to dominate the public's policy priorities."

Graft and corruption

The concern over fighting graft and corruption in government rose by 6 points, from 26% to 32%, moving it into third place nationally and reflecting renewed public attention to governance and accountability.

"This makes corruption the third most urgent national concern cited by adult Filipinos, reflecting heightened public attention to issues of transparency, accountability, and integrity in government," the study revealed.

Further, the concern over reducing poverty fell sharply, from 20% to 12%, the lowest level recorded in the survey series.

The survey, which is an independent and non-partisan poll conducted regularly by OCTA Research is a non-commissioned report with focus on urgent national and personal concerns conducted from July 4 to 11, 2026, using face-to-face interviews. There were 1,200 male and female probability respondents aged 18 and above interviewed for the study. This survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.

Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following margins of error at a 95% confidence level: ±6% for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The concern over providing free quality education also "gained prominence, increasing by 5 percentage points, from 17% to 22%."

"In contrast, concern about reducing poverty declined sharply by 8 percentage points, from 20% to 12%, the lowest level recorded in the survey series," the survey said.

Personal concerns

On personal concerns, staying healthy and avoiding illness remains Filipinos' top priority, cited by 65%, though this is down slightly from 67% in March.

Having enough food every day edged up from 46% to 47%, while concern over having a secure and well-paying job eased slightly from 42% to 41%. The proportion of Filipinos citing the ability to save money held steady at 41%, matching its highest level in the survey series.

"Taken together, the results indicate that while the sharpest edge of inflation-related concern has eased, cost-of-living and governance issues continue to shape Filipinos' national outlook, while health, food security, and financial resilience remain the primary personal concerns of Filipino households."

OCTA said the survey was conducted during a period marked by several significant political, economic, and environmental developments.

"Although the survey does not establish causal relationships between these events and public opinion, it is important to situate the findings within their broader national and international context. The fieldwork coincided with the formal opening of the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio on July 6, 2026," OCTA showed.

"On the same day, Senator Rodante Marcoleta, a prominent Duterte ally, was arrested on plunder charges involving allegedly undeclared campaign contributions. These developments unfolded amid heightened political attention surrounding the impeachment proceedings."

The respondents were also interviewed against the backdrop of mounting economic pressures.

"During the survey period, concerns over rising fuel prices intensified following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, contributing to higher petroleum prices in the domestic market. The survey likewise coincided with an increase in electricity rates and the release of the June 2026 inflation report, all of which formed part of the broader socio economic environment experienced by respondents." — BAP, GMA News