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Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star
January 1, 2026 | 12:00am
Shoppers crowd Blumentritt Market on December 31, 2025 as they rush to buy food and other essentials ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Ryan Baldemor / The Philippine STAR
MANILA, Philippines — With the flood control controversy grabbing the headlines in the second half of 2025, fighting graft and corruption has emerged as one of the urgent national concerns of Filipinos, a recent Pulse Asia survey showed.
But as in previous polls, controlling the increase in prices of basic goods and services remained the top concern for the majority, based on the survey conducted from Dec. 12 to 15.
Results showed that 59 percent of the respondents selected inflation as among their three most urgent concerns, followed by 48 percent who selected fighting graft and corruption in the government.
Inflation was the top concern among those in balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, as well as respondents in socio-economic classes D and E.
More respondents from Metro Manila and those socio-economic class C identified graft and corruption as their most urgent concern.
Compared to the third quarter survey, respondents who identified inflation as their top concern increased by five points (from 54 percent), while those who selected fighting corruption dropped by three points (from 51 percent).
Other top concerns included increasing the pay of workers (39 percent), reducing poverty (22 percent), creating more jobs (19 percent), fighting criminality (19 percent), fighting the widespread sale and use of illegal drugs (19 percent), equal enforcement of the law (13 percent) and stopping the destruction of the environment (10 percent).
These were followed by promoting peace (nine percent), providing assistance to farmers (nine percent), reducing taxes (eight percent), responding to calamity-stricken areas (eight percent), addressing involuntary hunger (eight percent) and providing support to small businesses (six percent).
Less than five percent selected protection of overseas Filipino workers, defending the integrity of Philippine territory and preparing to face any kind of terrorism.
