Filipinos want food prices, jobs addressed amid oil crisis – survey

MANILA — Filipinos are demanding that the national government prioritize bringing down food prices, creating more jobs, and eliminating corruption, a Stratbase Institute-commissioned survey showed, as the conflict in Iran sent fuel prices to record highs.

In its Feb. 27 to March 2 poll conducted by Pulse Asia and released Thursday, 41 percent of respondents said they wanted national government leaders to address “hav(ing) more affordable food prices in your area such as rice, meat, and fish.”

The figure was 3 percentage points higher compared to a similar survey conducted in December 2025, with more respondents from Balance Luzon — from 41 percent in December 2025 to 46 percent in March — and Mindanao — from 40 percent to 46 percent — echoing the sentiment.

The change was also highest among Class E respondents at 7 percentage points, from 33 percent in December to 40 percent in March.

Meanwhile, 26 percent said they wanted the government to “lessen or eliminate corruption to provide better services to the community.”

This was notably 5 percentage points lower than the previous survey’s 31 percent, coinciding with the winding down of the flood control scandal investigations.

More people also now want the government to “create more jobs and livelihood opportunities,” rising from 21 percent in December 2025 to 24 percent in March.

The change was highest in the Visayas, jumping from 27 percent in December to 43 percent in March.

Stratbase Institute president and CEO Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit said the findings reflected growing anxiety over food security and inflation amid the ongoing Middle East crisis, with Filipinos now paying PHP 94 to PHP 115 per liter following a new double-digit increase this week.

“What we are seeing is how geopolitical tensions are directly affecting Filipino households,” he said in a statement. “While corruption remains an important issue, ordinary citizens are now more focused on immediate economic pressures including food prices and income stability.”

Manhit added that the poll results also tied with the findings of another recent Pulse Asia survey, which found inflation at 47 percent and corruption at 36 percent to be the most pressing national concerns for Filipinos and which respondents have also raised in previous national surveys.

“Our commissioned survey’s findings reinforce concerns that Filipinos are overwhelmingly worried by the rising costs of goods,” Manhit said. “That there remains a high demand to eliminate corruption also shows that the public has stronger expectations for government accountability whenever food prices rise.”

The Stratbase president urged the government to respond decisively by stabilizing food and gas prices, cracking down on profiteers, and expanding state subsidies to protect the most vulnerable sectors from further shocks.

“Addressing rising food prices must go hand in hand with creating more jobs and ensuring that economic gains are felt at the local community level,” he added.

The other concern reflected in the survey was “providing accessible education and healthcare services” at 10 percent, unchanged from December 2025.

The survey was conducted within the same week that the United States and Israel began their coordinated strikes on Iran’s nuclear and defense facilities, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz through which one-fifth of the world’s oil shipment passes.

The move sent oil prices soaring above USD 100 per barrel, while the latest price hikes on gasoline and diesel in the Philippines triggered concerns of an inflationary effect on basic goods and commodities.

The Pulse Asia survey had a total of 1,200 respondents who were shown cards with different concerns listed, with a ±2.8 percent margin of error.