MANILA, Philippines — Wage increase is the top concern among Filipinos, according to an independent survey by OCTA Research conducted in December 2025.
This was the response of 45 percent of those surveyed in OCTA's Tugon ng Masa survey from Dec. 3-11, 2025 while controlling the rising prices of goods and services came second at 41 percent.
Others are access to affordable food at 30 percent, fighting graft and corruption at 29 percent, and providing free, quality education at 28 percent.
OCTA said that economic concerns, such as wages, inflation and employment, remained the most urgent issues Filipinos want the government to address.
"Results from the Q4 2025 TNM 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 as a top concern suggests that 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, followed by finishing schooling or being able to provide education at 45 percent, having enough to eat everyday at 44 percent, having a secure and well-paying job at 38 percent and avoiding becoming a victim of serious crime at 38 percent.
The face-to-face survey had 1,200 respondents across the country with a margin of error of plus or minus three percent nationwide
