A recent nationwide survey by OCTA Research reveals that health and inflation continue to be the primary concerns of Filipinos.
The findings, part of the 4th quarter 2024 Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey, were published on Sunday, January 12. The survey shows that 56% of adult Filipinos view controlling the prices of basic goods as the most pressing national issue.
This marks a notable decrease of 10 percentage points from the 66% recorded in the 3rd quarter of 2024.
Following inflation, other significant concerns include access to affordable food (44%), improving wages (36%), reducing poverty (34%), and job creation (29%).
The survey also highlights that 56% of Filipinos consider the rising cost of basic goods and services a major concern, though this is down from 66% in the previous quarter.
Additionally, concerns regarding access to affordable food have risen, with 44% of respondents highlighting it as an issue, up from 39%. Concerns about wages and salaries slightly decreased, from 39% to 36%, while worries about job creation dropped by four percentage points to 29%. Regional differences were also notable. In Balance Luzon, staying healthy was a significant concern, with 79% of respondents prioritizing it.
In Mindanao and Balance Luzon, the survey found that education, specifically the ability to finish school or provide schooling for children, is a major concern for 55% and 57% of respondents, respectively.
In the Visayas, 60% of respondents reported that having enough food daily was a pressing issue. The survey also highlighted socioeconomic differences.
Among Class D Filipinos, 73% cited staying healthy as a priority, while 68% of those in Class E were more focused on securing a stable and well-paying job. In Class D, 52% considered having enough to eat daily a concern, while 54% in Class ABC were primarily worried about saving money.
The fieldwork for the survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews from November 10 to 16, 2024, with 1,200 respondents aged 18 and older. The survey carries a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level, with higher margins of error for specific regions.
