MANILA – The PAHAYAG 2025 First Quarter Survey (PQ1-2025) highlighted the key issues that Filipinos believe President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) should prioritize.
Corruption (20%), the nation’s economy (11%), and inflation (11%) top the list of national concerns. Notably, concerns over illegal drugs (13%) have surged, particularly in Mindanao (26%), marking a shift in public perception.
Macro-/micro-issues
At the household level, Filipinos remain anxious about their ability to afford necessities (14%), access healthcare when needed (10%), and secure sustainable livelihoods (9%). Additionally, a rising concern that could be linked to illegal drug issues is the fear of becoming a victim of a crime (13%), which has notably increased in Mindanao. These findings reflect a pressing need for the government to address national and community-level concerns to improve public confidence and security.
Approval on national issues
The survey also examined public approval of various national policies and legislative actions. Among the most supported measures is the House of Representatives’ (HOR) approval of a Php200 across-the-board daily minimum wage increase, which received backing from 8 out of 10 Filipinos —an indication of strong public demand for long-term economic relief for the working class.
Seven in 10 Filipinos also support key legislative measures, including the ban on distributing financial aid, also known as “ayuda”, 10 days before election day, the HOR’s inquiry into fake news and disinformation against government officials, and the banning of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in favor of Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGOs).
Policies receiving support from 6 in 10 respondents include election-related measures such as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approval of online campaign platforms and the decision to keep Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) offline during voting and counting.
The Supreme Court’s (SC) scheduled deliberations on the constitutionality of the Maharlika Investment Fund Act and the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in April also garnered significant public interest. Additionally, there is strong approval for the passage of bills on Anti-Teenage Pregnancy and the re-imposition of the death penalty by firing squad for public officials convicted of corruption, malversation, and plunder.
Meanwhile, 5 in 10 Filipino voters expressed support for the Supreme Court’s handling of major legal issues, including arguments on the transfer of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) funds to the National Treasury, the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Comelec’s candidate disqualifications, and petitions to nullify the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. Similarly, half of the respondents approve of the impeachment trial’s planned start in the 20th Congress after the State of the Nation Address (SONA). Additionally, 50% of respondents support the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) decision to impose a maximum Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of Php 58.00 per kilo on imported rice.
Less popular policies include those that directly impact the public financially, such as toll rate hikes for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), fare increases for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and traditional jeepneys, and higher contributions for Social Security System (SSS) members.
Other issues that received less approval include the removal of the EDSA Bus Carousel, concerns over the growing national debt, the Maharlika Investment Corporation’s USD 76.4 million loan to Makilala Mining Company, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) gold-selling activities, and the Php194 billion worth of projects vetoed by PBBM.
PAHAYAG 2025 First Quarter (PQ1-2025) is an independent and non-commissioned survey conducted from 15-20 March 2025 by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc., using a purposive sampling composed of 1,500 respondents randomly selected from the research panel of over 200,000 registered Filipino voters maintained by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with a multinational presence
For more information on the survey methodology and detailed results, please visit www.publicusasia.com/pahayag.
