Filipinos demand jobs, stronger anti-corruption drive

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), two Pulse Asia surveys point to a common message from Filipinos: while bringing down the cost of food remains the country’s foremost concern, public attention is increasingly shifting toward creating jobs and strengthening the fight against corruption.

The latest survey, commissioned by the Stratbase Group, found growing demand for employment opportunities and anti-corruption measures from the national government, reinforcing the themes that Filipinos also want the President to address in his SONA.

Conducted from June 28 to July 3 and 6, 2026 among 2,400 respondents, the commissioned survey found that three in 10 Filipinos identified making food more affordable – particularly staples such as rice, meat and fish – as the national government’s top priority in addressing concerns in their local communities.

But while food prices remained the leading concern, the figure marked an 11-percentage-point decline from 41 percent in a similar March 2026 survey. At the same time, demand for job creation and anti-corruption measures strengthened.

The proportion of respondents who said the government should lessen or eliminate corruption to provide better services increased to 28 percent from 26 percent in March (+2 percentage points), while those who prioritized creating more jobs and livelihood opportunities rose to 28 percent from 24 percent (+4 percentage points).

The findings mirror the results of a separate Pulse Asia survey released on Friday, which found that Filipinos want the President to focus primarily on combating corruption – particularly by holding accountable those involved in the flood control projects controversy – followed closely by ensuring affordable basic goods.

Taken together, the two surveys suggest that while inflation concerns are beginning to ease, Filipinos are increasingly looking beyond prices and expecting stronger governance, accountability, and economic opportunities.

Stratbase Group President Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit said the convergence of the two Pulse Asia surveys reflected an evolving set of public expectations as the administration entered its final two years in office.

“The message from Filipinos is remarkably consistent. They want government to sustain efforts to keep food affordable, but they are also demanding stronger action against corruption and more opportunities for decent jobs. These are no longer separate concerns but interconnected expectations of effective governance,” he said.

The Stratbase-commissioned survey also found that 14 percent of respondents identified improving access to education and healthcare services as the government’s primary responsibility, up from 10 percent in the previous survey.

The decline in concern over food prices was observed across most regions, particularly in Balance Luzon, where the figure fell from 46 percent in March to 30 percent in July, and in Mindanao, where it dropped from 46 percent to 26 percent.

By contrast, calls for more employment opportunities became more pronounced nationwide. Support for prioritizing job creation had the sharpest increase in Balance Luzon, where it climbed 16 percentage points to 30 percent.

Concern over corruption also registered gains, particularly in Mindanao, where the share of respondents citing it as the government’s top priority doubled from 16 percent in March to 32 percent in July.

Education and healthcare likewise gained modest ground, increasing four percentage points nationwide to 14 percent.

Residents of the National Capital Region remained the most likely to prioritize affordable food prices, with 36 percentchoosing it as government’s foremost responsibility. This was followed by Balance Luzon (30 percent), Visayas (28 percent), and Mindanao (26 percent).

Mindanao respondents were the most likely to prioritize fighting corruption, with 32 percent selecting it as the government’s primary task.

Meanwhile, the Visayas recorded the highest proportion of respondents who cited education and healthcare as their top concern at 20 percent.

The survey also highlighted differences across socioeconomic classes.

Among Class E respondents, 44 percent identified affordable food prices as the government’s top priority, compared with 30 percent among Class D and 19 percent among Class ABC.

On the other hand, higher-income respondents were more likely to prioritize governance issues. Around 34 percent of Class ABC respondents cited combating corruption as the government’s foremost responsibility, compared with 28 percent in Class D and 20 percent in Class E.

Job creation was identified as the top priority by 30 percent of Class ABC respondents, 27 percent of Class D, and 26 percent of Class E.

For Manhit, these numbers also suggested that the next political test for the Marcos administration – now headed into its last two years – “will not simply be keeping inflation under control, but convincing Filipinos that it can translate economic stability into better jobs, cleaner governance, and more responsive public services.”

“They want an economy that creates opportunities and a government that is transparent, accountable, and capable of delivering results. Meeting these expectations will be critical in sustaining public trust,” he added.