MANILA — Controlling inflation continues to be the most pressing national concern for Filipinos, according to a recent survey by Pulse Asia.

“The need to control inflation remains the leading urgent national concern of Filipinos (59%), with the public’s sense of urgency across 18 selected issues virtually unchanged between December 2025 and March 2026,” the survey said.

Pulse Asia added that inflation was the top first- and second-mentioned urgent concern in March 2026, cited by 26% and 23% of respondents, respectively.

The survey found that other key concerns include graft and corruption in government (47%) and workers’ pay (36%), while corruption also ranked as the leading third-mentioned concern at 19%.

Additional issues raised by respondents included reducing poverty (21%), creating more jobs (21%), combating the sale and use of illegal drugs (21%), and fighting criminality (17%). Other concerns included helping farmers (14%), enforcing the rule of law (11%), addressing involuntary hunger (10%), protecting the environment (9%), and promoting peace (9%).

Inflation (53% in the Visayas, 62% in the rest of Luzon and Mindanao, and 57%–63% across all social classes) and government corruption (58% in the rest of Luzon and 64% in Class ABC) were the only issues considered urgent by a majority of respondents across regions and income groups.

Earlier, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) warned that inflation could accelerate above 7% if the conflict in the Middle East worsens or persists.

The survey was conducted from February 27 to March 2, 2026, through face-to-face interviews with a nationwide sample of 1,200 adults aged 18 and above, with a ±2.8% error margin at the 95% confidence level.