NEARLY two-thirds of Filipinos continue to distrust China, with public skepticism rising sharply in the second quarter of 2026 after months of decline, the latest Tugon ng Masa nationwide survey released by OCTA Research on Wednesday showed.
The survey found that 64 percent of adult Filipinos believe the Philippines should either "somewhat distrust" or "strongly distrust" China, up by 9 percentage points from 55 percent in the first quarter of 2026.
Only 15 percent said the country should trust China, while 21 percent remained undecided.
The increase reversed a downward trend in distrust that had been observed since its historic 95-percent peak in 2024.
The survey was conducted from July 4 to 11, coinciding with the country's commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea.
While the survey could not establish a direct causal relationship, OCTA said the timing of the findings was consistent with heightened public attention on developments in the West Philippine Sea, driven by government transparency efforts, civil society initiatives, and sustained media coverage.
Distrust toward China remained the dominant sentiment across all major geographic areas and socioeconomic classes.
Balance Luzon posted the highest level at 67 percent, followed by Visayas at 63 percent, Mindanao at 62 percent, and the National Capital Region at 59 percent.
At the regional level, Mimaropa recorded the highest distrust rating at 94 percent, followed by Caraga at 88 percent.
Central Visayas registered the lowest level at 47 percent, while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) posted 54 percent.
OCTA noted that lower distrust in some regions did not necessarily indicate higher trust, as many respondents remained undecided.
By age group, distrust was highest among respondents aged 18 to 24 at 73 percent, followed by those aged 65 to 74 and those aged 75 and above at 70 percent each.
Filipinos aged 25 to 34 recorded the lowest distrust level at 47 percent and the highest combined trust rating at 27 percent.
Looking at longer-term trends, OCTA said distrust had steadily declined from 95 percent in 2024 to 85 percent in July 2025, 60 percent in December 2025, and 55 percent in March 2026 before climbing back to 64 percent in the latest survey.
Trust, meanwhile, remained relatively unchanged, slipping slightly from 17 percent in March to 14 percent in July.
The survey also found that the share of undecided respondents declined, suggesting that many Filipinos who were previously ambivalent had shifted toward a more skeptical view of China.
OCTA said the findings indicate that Filipino public opinion on China remains closely tied to developments in the West Philippine Sea and the broader information environment surrounding the maritime dispute.
The nationwide survey interviewed 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above through face-to-face interviews. It has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at the 95-percent confidence level.
