Renalyn Ramirez - Philstar.com
October 15, 2026 | 4:29pm
In this photo taken on August 8, 2025, an old woman attends to her grocery store at a market in Manila.
AFP / Jam Sta Rosa
MANILA, Philippines — Most Filipinos have identified inflation as the most urgent national concern, followed by holding corrupt government officials accountable, according to a recent Pulse Asia survey.
In Pulse Asia’s poll results released on Thursday, October 15, 71% of Filipino adults said curbing inflation should be a priority of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. among the national concerns that need to be addressed.
The poll determined which concerns topped the list by asking respondents to identify the three most important issues the administration should prioritize. Of the respondents, 36% listed “controlling inflation” as their first priority, while 22% ranked it second and 13% ranked it third.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) earlier reported that the inflation rate in September jumped to 7.2%, matching the headline inflation recorded in April and marking the highest rate since March 2023.
Inflation refers to the rate at which the prices of goods and services increase over time, and rising inflation may cause purchasing power to decline.
September inflation was even higher among the bottom 30%, or the lowest-income group, reaching as high as 9% due to rapid increases in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing and utilities, and transport.
Pinoys’ top 6 concerns
With inflation topping the list, other leading concerns included government accountability, workers’ wages, criminality, poverty, and employment.
At least 39% of respondents said they wanted the administration to prioritize “fighting graft and corruption” in the government by holding those proven guilty accountable, placing it second on the list.
Meanwhile, 36% said increasing workers’ wages and salaries should be prioritized, making it the third most urgent concern, followed by fighting criminality, which was identified by 24% of respondents.
Reducing poverty ranked fifth, identified by 21% of respondents, while creating more jobs ranked sixth, named by 18% of respondents.
Other concerns included lowering fuel prices, providing assistance to farmers, promoting peace, addressing involuntary hunger, enforcing the law, reducing taxes, responding to areas affected by calamities, stopping environmental abuse, providing support to small business owners, defending Philippine territory, protecting the welfare of OFWs and preparing to face terrorism.
The survey was conducted from September 17 to 24 through face-to-face interviews with 2,400 Filipinos aged 18 and above across the country. It has a ±2% margin of error and a 95% confidence level.