THE UNIVERSITY of Mindanao Institute of Popular Opinion conducted a survey from March 22 to 27, 2022 to know the Davaoeños’ perceptions relative to the Russia-Ukraine war. The survey also sought to know the awareness of Davaoeños on the responsible actors in the war, and whether the war has an effect on Philippine politics and the economy.
When asked about which country/countries is at fault in the current state of military occupation of Russia in Ukraine, Davaoeños were divided in their perception.
Four of 10 Davaoeños blamed North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) countries, with the US, UK, Canada, and the European Union as notable country members. Also, nearly 3 of 10 Davaoeños blamed the Russian Federation while 2 of 10 said that Ukraine was at fault in the war. In addition, on whether Russia invading Ukraine is acceptable or not, 4 of 10 Davaoeños believed that Russia invading Ukraine is not the right thing to do, while nearly 4 of 10 Davaoeños said that war with Ukraine should be the last resort or option.
When asked whether Russia needs to improve relations with the West (e.g., US, EU, UK), 4 of 10 Davaoeños expressed agreement while 2 of 10 Davaoeños see it as a necessity. However, there are about 2 of 10 Davaoeños who seemed to have an opposite stance on Russia having cordial relationships with the West.
Since the survey was done online, IPO relied heavily on online, pre-defined, and targeted social media users who are Davaoeños and who meet the inclusion criteria. The survey was disseminated via sponsored ads on two Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram). Respondents were at least 18 years old; targeted for contact within the defined geographical radius, and have valid/active email addresses. The survey was done at 95% confidence level and 3% margin of error.
Davaoeños were also asked about the relevance of the tussle between Russia and Ukraine to the Philippines. Eight (8) of 10 Davaoeños believe that the war affects the Philippines on varying yet significant levels. Proof of such effect could be seen in the sudden skyrocketing of oil and gas prices in the country in recent weeks, attributed to the spike in global crude oil price per barrel.
When asked which country the Philippines shall side with in this issue, 8 of 10 Davaoeños responded that the country should be neutral (77%), and 7 of 10 (73.9%) Davaoeños believed that the next President should also remain neutral. This coincides with the recent pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte on pursuing an independent foreign policy and neutrality of the country, despite his deep concern for the fate of Ukraine and its citizens, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin failing to arrive in consensus to the former’s impending NATO membership.
Finally, the inferential analysis revealed that Davaoeños exhibiting higher educational attainment and household income have the likelihood to express concern about the effects of Russia-Ukraine war on the country’s state of affairs. #
