Inflation still top urgent concern for majority of Filipinos – survey

MANILA, Philippines – Two years since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office, majority of Filipinos are still concerned about “controlling the increase in prices basic goods and services, according to Octa Research survey released on Sunday, July 21.

The survey showed that this issue was the top urgent concern for 65% of the Filipino respondents.

“It is also the top concern across major areas and income classes,” Octa noted.

The survey, taken from June 26 to July 1, 2024, included 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above. The pollster also said that the 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 Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Following inflation, Filipinos ranked “access to affordable food like rice, vegetables, and meat” at 40%, and “Increasing/improving wages or salaries of workers” at 33% as their second- and third-most urgent concerns, respectively.

Octa noted that Metro Manila and Visayas respondents were concerned about “improving/increasing wages or salaries of workers,” with both geographic areas receiving 36% – higher than that of Balance Luzon (34%) and Mindanao (27%).

Following four straight months of rising inflation, the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services finally eased to 3.7% in June. The latest figure is lower than the 3.9% recorded in May 2024 and the 5.4% in June 2023.

Octa released the survey results a day before the third State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, June 22. Groups expect the President to discuss ways to curb rising prices of goods. – Rappler.com