A recent OCTA Research survey reveals that even before the recent spike in fuel prices due to Middle East tensions, Filipinos were already grappling with significant economic anxiety.
The “Tugon ng Masa” poll, conducted from March 19 to 25, identifies inflation as the primary national concern, affecting nearly half of the population.
According to the data, 45% of respondents tagged rising prices as their most urgent issue, followed closely by the need for higher wages at 33%. Other notable national priorities include:
- Graft and Corruption: 26%
- Affordable Food (Rice, Meat, Vegetables): 24%
- Poverty Reduction: 20%
- Free Quality Education: 17%
OCTA Research categorized these findings as a “pre-shock baseline,” noting that the sentiment was recorded just before the broader economic impact of rising transport and food costs hit household budgets.
”The March 2026 results may be best understood as a pre-shock baseline—capturing public sentiment before higher fuel, transport, and food costs began exerting broader pressure on household welfare, purchasing power, and food security,” the group stated.
Demographic and Regional Trends
The survey highlights that inflation concerns are not uniform across the country. Cost-of-living pressures appear most acute in the Visayas (54%) and Mindanao (51%). Interestingly, inflation anxiety was highest among both the wealthiest and poorest sectors, with Class E (56%) and Class ABC (54%) reporting higher levels of concern than Class D (41%).
This comes as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) warns of further price hikes. The central bank projects April inflation to settle between 5.6% and 6.4%, a sharp increase from the 4.1% seen in March and well above the government’s target ceiling of 4%.
Personal Priorities: Health and Security
On an individual level, the survey indicates that Filipinos remain focused on fundamental survival and well-being. Staying healthy (67%) remains the undisputed top personal priority across all demographics.
Other top personal concerns include:
- Daily Food Security: 46%
- Stable, High-Paying Employment: 42%
- Building Savings: 41%
- Education Access: 39%
The survey, which involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults, maintains a margin of error of ±3%, providing a statistically significant snapshot of the nation’s pulse during a period of escalating global and local economic shifts.