HIGHER wages remain the most urgent national concern among Filipinos in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to an independent survey by OCTA Research.
In its Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from Dec. 3 to 11, 2025, 45 percent of respondents nationwide said improving wages is the most urgent national concern, an increase of 18 percentage points from the third-quarter 2025 survey by the pollster.
Controlling the rising prices of goods and services came in second at 41 percent, a decrease of 7 percentage points from the same period. OCTA noted that price control had been the leading national concern consistently since the first quarter of 2022, marking a notable shift in priorities.
Other issues Filipinos identified as the most urgent national concerns include access to affordable food at 30 percent, fighting graft and corruption at 29 percent, and providing free, quality education at 28 percent.
At least 40 percent of respondents across major regions and socioeconomic classes identified improving wages as a priority, with the highest levels recorded in Balanced Luzon and the Visayas at 47 percent, and among Class D respondents at 46 percent.
Price control was more pronounced in the Visayas and the National Capital Region at 48 percent and 47 percent, respectively, as well as among Classes ABC, D and E. Fighting graft and corruption was most prominent in the National Capital Region at 43 percent and lowest in Mindanao at 17 percent.
OCTA said economic concerns such as wages, inflation and employment remain the most urgent issues Filipinos want the government to address.
“Results from the Q4 2025 Tugon ng Masa Survey further indicate a reordering of national priorities toward income sufficiency and wage stability, even as inflation and access to affordable food continue to weigh heavily on households,” it added.
While economic issues remain top concerns, the prominence of fighting graft and corruption suggests governance issues are not being eclipsed by economic anxieties but are viewed as structurally intertwined with them.
Meanwhile, staying healthy remains the top personal concern of Filipinos at 68 percent, an increase of 5 percentage points from the third quarter of 2025. This was followed by finishing schooling or being able to provide education at 45 percent, having enough to eat every day at 44 percent, having a secure and well-paying job at 38 percent, and avoiding becoming a victim of serious crime at 38 percent.
OCTA said that despite food-related concerns easing modestly alongside improvements in perceived poverty and food security, health remains a dominant and rising priority.
The face-to-face survey covered 1,200 respondents nationwide and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.
