QUEZON CITY, Philippines — A majority of adult Filipinos believe they can speak their minds openly without fear of government retaliation, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Friday, October 2.
The nationwide poll, conducted from June 20 to 29, revealed that 59% of respondents agreed with the statement regarding freedom of expression, while 22% disagreed and 17% remained undecided.
Among those who agreed, 28% expressed strong agreement and 31% somewhat agreed. Conversely, 12% somewhat disagreed and 10% strongly disagreed.
The findings yielded a net agreement score of +37, which SWS classifies as “strong.”
“This is the same strong +37 recorded in March 2026 (56 percent agree, 20 percent disagree, correctly rounded), which in turn was up by 11 points from the moderate +26 (50 percent agree, 24 percent disagree) in November 2025,” SWS said.
Historical tracking by SWS shows that perceived freedom of speech has fluctuated significantly over the decades. When first polled in July 1985 during the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., agreement stood at just 33% against 29% disagreement, producing an all-time low net score of neutral +3. Freedom of expression sentiment surged to +39 in May 1986 and peaked at a record high of +63 in March 1987.
The polling firm noted varying net agreement averages across different presidential terms over the years.
“It averaged +33 during the administration of Corazon Aquino, +38 during Fidel Ramos, +41 during Joseph Estrada, +34 during Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, +32 during Benigno Aquino III, and only +29 during Rodrigo Duterte,” SWS said.
“In the five surveys so far under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., net agreement has averaged +33, ranging from a moderate +26 in November 2025 to a strong+37 in both March and June 2026,” it added.
Geographically, Metro Manila recorded the highest net agreement in June at +48, an increase from +43 in March. It was followed by Mindanao at +40, Balance Luzon at +39, and Visayas at +22.
By educational background, college and post-graduate degree holders logged the highest net agreement at +50, though this marked a slight drop from +54 in March. High school and vocational level respondents scored +45, elementary graduates posted +27, and those with no formal education or incomplete elementary studies recorded +15.
By gender, net agreement among women rose to +38 from +34 in March, while the score among men dropped to +36 from +39.
The Second Quarter 2026 Social Weather Survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide, evenly split with 300 respondents each from Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The survey carries a national margin of error of ±3% and ±6% for regional breakdowns.