Pulse Asia: Pay hike, prices urgent concerns for Pinoys

MANILA, Philippines - Controlling inflation and increasing the pay of workers remained the two most urgent national concerns of Filipinos, according to the third quarter survey of Pulse Asia.

The poll, taken from Sept. 8 to 14, also showed that most Filipinos still disapproved of the government’s efforts to reduce poverty (41 percent) and control inflation (46 percent).

Pulse Asia said Filipinos continue to be most concerned with increasing workers’ pay and controlling inflation at 47 percent and 46 percent, respectively.

The other urgent national concerns which the Aquino administration must immediately act on are graft and corruption (39 percent); jobs (37 percent) and poverty (32 percent), Pulse Asia said.

A quarter of Filipinos (25 percent) mentioned crime as the most urgent national concern, followed by peace (18 percent), rule of law (16 percent), environmental degradation (13 percent) and rapid population growth (11 percent).

Filipinos were found least concerned about territorial integrity (seven percent), Charter change (four percent) and terrorism (three percent), Pulse Asia said.

By area, 50 percent of respondents in Metro Manila said the top urgent national concern is workers’ pay, while 42 percent mentioned corruption.

In the rest of Luzon, the most often mentioned concerns are workers’ pay (48 percent), inflation (46 percent), corruption (39 percent) and jobs (38 percent).

In the Visayas, the most often cited national concerns are workers’ pay (49 percent), inflation (46 percent) and corruption (40 percent).

In Mindanao, the respondents are most concerned about inflation (50 percent) and workers’ pay (42 percent).

On the other hand, in Class ABC, the leading urgent national concerns are corruption (44 percent), workers’ pay (39 percent), inflation (39 percent), crime (34 percent) and jobs (33 percent).

In Class D, the most often mentioned national concerns are workers’ pay (48 percent) and inflation (47 percent).

Among Class E, the most urgent national concerns are workers’ pay (48 percent), inflation (47 percent) and poverty (37 percent).

The least often mentioned urgent national concerns across geographic areas and socioeconomic classes are territorial integrity (five percent to eight percent and six percent to seven percent, respectively), Charter change (two percent to five percent and four percent to six percent, respectively) and terrorism (three percent to four percent and three percent, respectively).

In addition, less than one in 10 of those in Class E (eight percent) considered rapid population growth as an urgent national concern.

“During the period June to September 2015, there are no significant changes in public opinion concerning urgent national concerns,” Pulse Asia said.

The increase in the level of concern about the need to fight criminality (5 percentage points) is considered marginal in light of the survey’s overall error margin, it said.

Areas of strength

Meanwhile, out of 11 issues rated, the administration obtained only one majority approval rating in September – protecting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at 51 percent.

Approval is the plurality sentiment regarding the current dispensation’s work in the areas of promoting peace (46 percent), fighting crime (44 percent), defending the country’s territorial integrity (43 percent) and protecting the environment (43 percent).

Nearly the same percentages of Filipinos either approve of or are ambivalent regarding the administration’s initiatives to enforce the rule of law (39 percent versus 37 percent) and to create more jobs (37 percent versus 33 percent).

The Aquino administration scored almost the same approval and disapproval ratings with regard to fighting corruption in government (39 percent versus 36 percent) and increasing workers’ pay (33 percent versus 37 percent).

For Malacañang, the latest Pulse Asia survey showing an improved approval from the citizenry regarding government efforts to address key issues on upholding the rights of OFWs, promoting peace, curtailing crime, protecting territorial rights and nurturing the environment proves that programs implemented are on the right track. – With Delon Porcalla