CONTROLLING the rising prices of basic goods and services remained the most urgent national concern among Filipinos in the second quarter of 2026, while concern over graft and corruption climbed to third place, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa survey released by OCTA Research on Tuesday.
The nationwide survey found that 37 percent of respondents identified inflation as the top issue the Marcos administration should address immediately. Improving wages and salaries came next at 34 percent, followed by fighting graft and corruption at 32 percent. Access to affordable food ranked fourth at 24 percent, while providing free quality education rounded out the top five at 22 percent.
Compared with the March 2026 survey, concern over inflation declined by eight percentage points from 45 percent but remained the country’s top issue. Concern over wages was largely unchanged, while concern over corruption increased by six percentage points from 26 percent, making it the third most pressing national concern. Concern over reducing poverty fell to a record low of 12 percent.
The survey also showed differences across socioeconomic classes. Among Class ABC respondents, fighting corruption ranked highest at 42 percent, ahead of inflation at 41 percent. For Class D, inflation and higher wages were the leading concerns at 36 percent each, while among Class E respondents, affordable food at 42 percent and inflation at 40 percent topped the list.
On personal concerns, staying healthy and avoiding illness remained the top priority of adult Filipinos, cited by 65 percent of respondents. This was followed by having enough food every day at 47 percent, having savings at 41 percent, securing a well-paying job or source of income at 41 percent, and finishing schooling or providing education for children at 38 percent.
Across socioeconomic groups, health remained the leading personal concern, although priorities varied. Class ABC respondents placed greater emphasis on staying healthy at 70 percent and building savings at 48 percent, while Class E respondents were more concerned about having enough food every day at 58 percent and providing education for their children at 44 percent.
OCTA said the findings suggest that while concerns over inflation have eased from their March peak, the cost of living continues to dominate public priorities. At the same time, growing concern over corruption indicates that governance and accountability have become increasingly important to Filipinos, while health, food security and financial stability remain their foremost personal concerns.
The survey fieldwork was conducted from July 4 to 11, 2026, using face-to-face interviews. A total of 1,200 male and female probability respondents aged 18 and above were interviewed. The survey has a ±3 percentage point margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level, while subnational estimates have a ±6 percentage point margin of error for the National Capital Region, Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
