Criminality top concern of middle, upper classes – survey

MANILA, Philippines – Salaries, inflation, jobs. The top urgent concerns of most Filipinos remain unchanged in the last quarter, according to survey results revealed Monday, April 10.

However, a breakdown of the results of Pulse Asia’s March 2017 Ulat ng Bayan survey show that top concerns differed between socioeconomic classes: it’s criminality for Class ABC, and economic issues for the D and E.

At the top of the national list are increasing the pay of workers (43%), controlling inflation (41%), and job creation (39%).

Concerns about law and order followed, including fighting graft and corruption (31%) and fighting crime (28%).

Another cluster of national concerns include peace (18%), enforcing rule of law (16%), and the environment (15%).

FIlipinos are also concerned with controlling rapid population growth (11%), reducing taxes (11%), the welfare of overseas Filipinos (8%), and protecting the nation’s territorial integrity (6%), Pulse Asia said.

At the bottom of the list is terrorism and charter change, both at 3%.

Approval of gov’t performance

The survey results also showed that most of the respondents first mentioned workers’ pay, inflation, and jobs, when they were asked about their top concerns.

It also showed that workers’ pay was a top concern across geographic areas and socioeconomic classes.

Among Class ABC, however, the top concern is criminality, at 38%, trumping economic concerns.

The survey firm noted that the responses were largely comparable to the results of the December 2016 survey, except that there is greater concern over inflation and job creation in the latest survey.

As for the performance of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte in addressing these issues, the survey showed a majority of Filipinos approve of the government’s fight against criminality, with a +74 net approval rating.

Respondents also approve of the government’s response to the needs of calamity victims (+74), protecting the welfare of OFWs (+67), and increasing peace in the country (+64).

However, the Duterte government is seen as falling short in job creation, workers’ wages, reducing poverty, and controlling inflation – which, Pulse Asia noted, are among the biggest concerns of citizens.

Along with defending the country’s territory, the 4 issues all have net approval ratings of below +50.

The assessments are “essentially unchanged between December 2016 and March 2017,” the survey firm said, with a notable exception of an 8-percentage point drop in the public approval of the government’s efforts to defend the country’s territory.

Pulse Asia said that the nationwide survey was conducted between March 15 and 20 via face-to-face surveys of 1,200 adult respondents. The margin of error is +/-3 for the national results, and +/-6% for regional results.

The top political issues and news events in the country at the time of the survey included:

• Filing of impeachment complaints against both the President and Vice President
• The Senate probe into the so-called Davao Death Squad
• The restart of Oplan TokHang
• The House death penalty vote

The survey was non-commissioned, the organization said. – Rappler.com