MANILA, Philippines – Staying healthy is an urgent personal concern of most Filipinos while national concerns are mostly “economic in nature,” a recent Pulse Asia survey found.

The results of the December 2015 Nationwide Survey on Urgent Personal and National Concerns of Filipinos released on Monday, January 11, show that 62% of Filipinos are concerned about their health and preventing illnesses.

On the other hand, controlling inflation and improving workers’ pay top the list of urgent national concerns among Filipinos, at 45% and 42% respectively.

Conducted nationwide from December 5-8, the survey was used face-to-face interviews with 1,800 registered voters in the National Capital Region, Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Sampling error is ± 2% error for nationwide, ± 6% for Metro Manila, ± 3% for the rest of Luzon, and ± 5% for each of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Health as top concern since 2012

Staying healthy has been a top personal concern of Filipinos since 2012. However, the latest rating is 4 points lower than 2014’s 66%.

Other urgent personal concerns of Filipinos include:

• having some savings (49%)
• providing/finishing one’s or children’s education (48%)
• having a secure job (43%)
• having enough to eat on a daily basis (41%)
• owning a house and lot (37%)

Filipinos, meanwhile, are least concerned about avoiding being a victim of a crime at 30%.

The survey results showed that health is the most urgent personal concern across geographic areas and most socio-economic classes. However, majority of people (54%) who belong to class E – the poorest sector – are most concerned with finishing or providing education.

National concern: ‘Economic in nature’

The Pulse Asia survey found out that Filipinos’ national concerns include controlling inflation, improving workers’ pay, reducing poverty, creating more jobs, and fighting corruption, among others.

At 45%, Filipinos are most concerned about controlling inflation or prices of commodities. Improving workers’ pay comes at second at 42%.

While majority of those in Luzon, the Visayas, and the National Capital Region (NCR) are concerned with improving workers’ pay, 54% of Mindanao residents are more concerned with controlling inflation.

Among socio-economic classes, however, increasing prices of commodities is the top concern. But while class D and E’s second top concern is workers’ pay, those who belong to class ABC are more concerned in reducing poverty among Filipinos.

The least urgent concerns across geographic areas and classes are welfare of overseas Filipino workers at 7%, territorial integrity at 4%, terrorism at 3%, and charter change at 3%.

2016 elections

The concerns of the Filipinos, as stated by the results of the Pulse Asia survey, are not unfounded and actually reflect the current state in the Philippines. (READ: #ToFix List)

Poverty, for instance, affects 22.3% of Filipinos, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2012. This translates to roughly 4.2 million families. 

Self-rated poverty, meanwhile, is another thing. Almost 50% or 11.2 million families consider themselves poor.

To live “comfortably,” a family needs to earn P8,022 ($170)* a month.

President Benigno Aquino III has “always endeavored” the concerns of the people through various programs and policies, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

Consumer power, he pointed out, has been “enhanced considerably” as interest rates on loans decreased.  Meanwhile, sound management of macroeconomic fundamentals helped the government to control the inflation.

“The highest priority has also been given to reducing poverty and fighting corruption through good governance and public accountability,” Coloma added. “The government will continue to work hard to deliver public services satisfactorily and secure the well-being of our bosses – the Filipino people.” – Rappler.com

*US$1 = P47