MANILA, Philippines — Fighting corruption and lowering the price of goods are the two most important issues that Filipino adults believe the government should prioritize in its policies, according to the October 2026 National Momentum Survey.
The non-commissioned survey, conducted from October 16 to 19, asked Filipino adults to choose up to three national issues they think the Philippine government should prioritize. They were given a list of 18 national issues to choose from.
It found that 59% of Filipino adults cited addressing government corruption and the flood control scandal as issues the government should prioritize.
This is followed by lowering the price of food and basic goods (53%), increasing the wages of Filipino workers (40%), combating poverty and hunger (21%), and lowering electricity and fuel prices (21%).
While lowering the price of basic goods is still among Filipinos’ top priorities, the October findings point to a notable shift in public concern over corruption, as it has become the public’s top concern, compared with July findings.
In July, fighting corruption was the fourth most mentioned issue that Filipinos wanted President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to address in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at 32%. Since then, issues surrounding corruption have gained traction amid questions over infrastructure allocations in the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget, approved by the House of Representatives on October 12.
By income group
Between income groups, the survey found that the majority of Filipino adults from low-income (64%) and middle-income households (67%) say that the government should prioritize addressing corruption.
Meanwhile, the majority of poor Filipino adults, whose monthly household income is below P13,873, prefer the government to focus its efforts on lowering the prices of food and basic goods (56%).
Low-income households refer to those who earn between P13,873 and P27,746, while middle-income households are those who earn between P27,746 and P166,476.
By region
Majorities of Filipino adults in Metro Manila (67%) and the Rest of Luzon (64%) believe that fighting corruption is one of the most pressing issues that the government must prioritize. These are higher than the 51% in Visayas and 50% in Mindanao that also mention addressing government corruption as a priority.
In Visayas (59%) and Mindanao (54%), however, the majority choose to lower the prices of food and basic goods.
Notably, increasing workers’ wages is the second most cited issue in Metro Manila (47%), ahead of lowering the prices of food and basic goods (38.7%). In the Rest of Luzon (40%), Visayas (37%), and Mindanao (36%), wages are the third most cited policy issue.
By generation
Nearly 7 in 10 Gen Z Filipino adults (69%) and 57% of millennials want the government to prioritize anti-corruption efforts, including the flood control scandal. These are higher than the 51% of Gen X Filipinos and 52% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation who chose corruption as one of their priority policy issues.
But what is most concerning to the older generations is the prices of goods, mentioned by 60% of Gen X Filipinos and 64% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.
Conducted from October 16 to 19, the National Momentum Survey was carried out through face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,401 Filipino adults. It has a national margin of error of ±2.6 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Subnational margins of error are ±7.0% for the National Capital Region, ±3.8% for the Rest of Luzon (North, South, and Central Luzon), ±6.1% for Visayas, and ±5.8% for Mindanao — all at a 95% confidence level.
Find the complete survey results on our public dashboard at momentumresearch.ph.
