Health still most urgent concern for Pinoys – OCTA poll

MANILA, Philippines — Staying healthy remains to be the most urgent personal concern for a large majority of Filipinos, according to a recent survey conducted by the OCTA Research group.

Results of the Dec. 10 to 14 poll also found more respondents worried about having enough to eat every day.

Based on the survey, 71 percent of the respondents chose “to stay healthy and avoid illness” as one of their three most urgent personal concerns, up from 65 percent obtained in a similar poll conducted in October 2023.

Fifty percent answered “at least to be able to have enough to eat every day,” up from 45 percent from the previous survey.

It overtook “to have a secure and well-paying job” and “to finish schooling or to be able to provide schooling for our children” on the list of most urgent personal concerns.

Having a well-paying job was selected by 47 percent of the respondents, from 52 percent in October, while education was chosen by only 44 percent, from 50 percent in the last survey.

Other personal concerns included avoiding being a victim of crime (36 percent), having savings (29 percent) and having a house and lot (23 percent).

OCTA recently released survey results showing an increase in involuntary hunger or those who experienced not having anything to eat at least once in the past three months.

From 10 percent in October 2023, the country’s hunger rate rose to 14 percent in December, translating to an estimated increase from 2.6 million to 3.7 million families.

Involuntary hunger was highest among those in the Visayas at 19 percent, followed by those in Mindanao at 18 percent, balance Luzon at 11 percent and Metro Manila at eight percent.

OCTA’s Tugon ng Masa survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.