FIGHTING corruption, including the flood control scandal, has overtaken high prices of basic goods as the top issue Filipinos want the government to address, a nationwide survey conducted in October showed.
The National Momentum Survey by Momentum Research found that 59 percent of Filipino adults cited corruption as one of the three most important issues the government should prioritize, ahead of the 53 percent who wanted lower prices of food and basic goods.
The findings point to a shift in public priorities as the controversy over alleged irregularities in flood control projects continues to fuel scrutiny of government spending and infrastructure allocations.
In July, fighting corruption ranked only fourth among issues respondents wanted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address, with 32 percent citing it as a priority.
The October survey also found that 40 percent wanted the government to increase workers’ wages, while 21 percent each cited combating poverty and hunger and lowering electricity and fuel prices.
Corruption was the leading concern among respondents from low-income and middle-income households, cited by 64 percent and 67 percent, respectively.
Among poor households, however, 56 percent wanted the government to prioritize lowering food and basic goods prices.
Regional findings showed that corruption was the leading concern in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, cited by 67 percent and 64 percent of respondents, respectively.
In Visayas and Mindanao, the cost of food and basic goods was the leading concern, cited by 59 percent and 54 percent, respectively.
In Metro Manila, increasing workers’ wages ranked second at 47 percent, ahead of lowering food and basic goods prices at 38.7 percent.
The survey also found that younger respondents were more likely to cite corruption as a priority.
Nearly seven in 10 Gen Z respondents, or 69 percent, wanted the government to prioritize addressing corruption, compared with 57 percent of millennials, 51 percent of Gen X respondents and 52 percent of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.
For older respondents, the rising cost of goods remained a more pressing concern. It was cited by 60 percent of Gen X respondents and 64 percent of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,401 Filipino adults from Oct. 16 to 19. It had a national margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
Respondents were asked to select up to three issues from a list of 18 national concerns that they believed the government should prioritize.
