China poses ‘greatest threat’ to Philippines – poll

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January 29, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  A majority of Filipinos continue to distrust China, with almost eight in 10 seeing the Asian giant as the “greatest threat” to the Philippines, a survey conducted by the OCTA Research group showed.

The poll, conducted from Dec. 3 to 11, found that 60 percent of the respondents were either “strongly” or “somewhat” distrustful of China.

Only 13 percent said they trust China, while 26 percent were undecided.

The same survey also asked respondents which of the countries on a list posed the greatest threat to the Philippines.

China was selected by 79 percent, significantly higher than the others on the list. Russia was selected by five percent, while four percent said it was the United States.

North Korea and Saudi Arabia were selected by two percent, while one percent of the respondents selected Japan, Iran and Pakistan.

None of the respondents selected Australia and India, while four percent said none of the countries in the list poses the greatest threat to the Philippines.

The survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.

According to OCTA, the latest survey shows a “clear, stable and intensifying trend in public perceptions of China as the Philippines’ greatest external threat.”

“By December 2025, 79 percent of adult Filipinos identify China as the country’s top threat, reflecting a five-percentage point increase from 74 percent in July 2025,” the polling firm said.

“This increase reinforces a longer-term pattern evident across survey waves. From January 2021 through December 2025, China has been consistently identified by a clear majority of Filipinos as the Philippines’ greatest threat. While short-term fluctuations are observed across survey periods, the overall trajectory points to a consolidation rather than erosion of this perception,” it added.

OCTA said the survey results show that the perceptions of China as a threat “are not only widespread but deeply entrenched.”

The increase, it said, is not a representation of a sudden shift in perception, but “appears to be an intensification of an existing dominant view.

House Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V said the OCTA survey result was a reflection of public sentiment shaped partly by President Marcos’ firm but laws-based approach to defending the country’s territorial rights.

“President Marcos has been clear and consistent: we will defend what is ours, anchored on law and diplomacy,” Ortega said.

“Our soldiers, Coast Guard personnel and fishermen are on the frontlines every day. While others debate, Filipinos stand watch,” he added.

“For a small country, resolve matters,” Ortega said. “Strength is not measured by size, but by the courage to stand firm and by our commitment to the rule of law. That is the realism President Marcos has shown,” Ortega pointed out.

The La Union lawmaker stressed that the West Philippine Sea issue is not an abstract geopolitical debate but a daily struggle for Filipinos whose livelihoods depend on the country’s waters.

“Our fishermen feel this first. When they are harassed or driven away, it means fewer fish brought home and higher prices in the market,” Ortega said.

“That is why defending our maritime rights is also about food security and protecting families,” he added.

He emphasized that the Philippine position on the maritime issue with Beijing was not about being anti-China.

“This is not about being anti-any nation. This is about being pro-law, pro-sovereignty and pro-Filipino. We stand on the arbitral ruling and UNCLOS, not on force or intimidation,” Ortega said.

“The message from the people is unmistakable. They expect their government to defend the nation’s territory, protect those on the frontlines and do so with dignity and discipline. That is exactly what the President is doing,” he pointed out.

But for Sen. Imee Marcos, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, officials should exercise restraint in public pronouncements concerning international affairs.

She said “reckless statements and intemperate rhetoric” can have dire impact on bilateral relations and on “our ability to protect national interest, particularly in sensitive areas such as the maritime domain.”

11th Philippines- US MCA

Meanwhile, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) announced its deployment of three aircraft, including a FA-50PH fighter jet, for the 11th Philippines-United States Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) conducted on Jan. 26 over the western seaboard of Zambales.

The two-day joint exercises in the West Philippine Sea, which began on Jan. 25, were spearheaded by the Philippine Navy and the US Indo-Pacific Command.

Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the three PAF aircraft were the “eye in the sky” for this year’s first MCA.

“The activity underscored the continued commitment of the Philippines and the United States to strengthen combined maritime operations and enhance coordination in support of regional security and maritime domain awareness,” Basco said.

At least one People’s Liberation Army Navy warship was monitored from a distance during the MCA. The PLAN warship was monitored “within the exercise box,” according to Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad.

“It did not conduct any aggressive or coercive action. The presence of the PLA navy did not affect any of the activities in the bilateral MCA,” he said.-Michael Punongbayan