INTERNET browsing and Facebook have edged out television as the leading sources of political news and current events among Filipino registered voters, reflecting the growing influence of digital platforms in shaping public access to information, a Pahayag survey showed.
The Oct. 1 to 4 survey found that 58 percent of respondents usually accessed political news and current events through internet browsing, followed by 53 percent who relied on Facebook and 52 percent who watched television.
Information shared through personal networks also remained significant, with 28 percent getting news from friends, acquaintances, co-workers or neighbors, while 24 percent relied on relatives.
The findings point to the growing dominance of digital channels in political news consumption, although traditional media and interpersonal communication continue to play important roles in how Filipinos receive information.
Facebook and YouTube were the most widely used social media platforms, with usage rates of 77 percent and 69 percent, respectively. TikTok followed at 57 percent and Instagram at 41 percent.
Facebook Messenger also dominated messaging applications, with 76 percent of respondents reporting its use, substantially higher than other messaging platforms included in the survey.
Despite the growing reach of digital media, television remained a major source of political information. The survey found that 34 percent watched television for news daily, while 55 percent used the medium but did not access news on a daily basis.
Streaming platforms also figured prominently in respondents’ media habits, with 31 percent reporting daily news consumption through these services and 59 percent using them for purposes other than daily news.
Daily news consumption through television and streaming platforms was more concentrated in the National Capital Region than in other parts of the country, the survey found.
Print newspapers and tabloids, AM and FM radio, cable television and X, formerly Twitter, were also identified as sources of political news, although their daily audiences were smaller compared with digital and video-based platforms.
The survey further found differences in media consumption across geographic areas and demographic groups, with internet browsing, Facebook and television widely used but varying in reach depending on respondents’ regions, ages and household income levels.
The Pahayag Public Opinion Quarterly 3 (PQ3) 2026 survey was conducted nationwide from Oct. 1 to 4 among 1,581 registered Filipino voters selected from the PureSpectrum market research panel.
It was an independent, non-commissioned survey using purposive sampling. Pahayag reported a national margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Pahayag is the public opinion research initiative of Publicus Asia Inc., which has tracked key public opinion indicators since 2017. Vox Opinion Research has served as its commissioned research arm since 2013.
