MANILA — A recent survey commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) found that 76 percent of Filipinos express commitment to defending Philippine territory, including the West Philippine Sea, according to OCTA Research.

The poll, conducted from March 19 to 25, surveyed 1,200 adult respondents nationwide and asked them to respond to the statement: “I love my country, and I am committed to support the government in defending its territory and asserting sovereign rights, including over the West Philippine Sea.”

Results showed that 76 percent agreed with the statement, while 7 percent disagreed and 17 percent remained undecided.

Support was highest in the National Capital Region at 83 percent and in Balance Luzon at 77 percent.

By region, Mimaropa recorded the highest agreement at 93 percent, followed by Caraga at 91 percent and Western Visayas at 90 percent. The lowest levels of agreement were seen in the Visayas at 68 percent and Mindanao at 75 percent, with Central Visayas registering the lowest at 45 percent.

“Agreement ranges from a high of 93 percent in Mimaropa to a low of 45 percent in Central Visayas — a 48-point gap that reveals significant regional variation beneath the national headline,” OCTA said.

“The survey’s most critical outlier is Davao Region, where disagreement reaches 34 percent, five times the national average, making it the single most important sub-national finding of the study,” it added.

In terms of educational attainment, agreement was highest among vocational graduates at 85 percent and college graduates at 80 percent.

By socioeconomic class, support was highest among Classes ABCD at 76 percent, while Class E posted 71 percent agreement. OCTA noted that Class D, which comprises about 75 percent of the population, mirrored the national average at 76 percent.

“Support for territorial defense is not concentrated among the educated or affluent. Class D — which comprises 75 percent of the Filipino population — mirrors the national average exactly at 76 percent,” OCTA said.

The survey had a margin of error of ±3 percent at a 95 percent confidence level, while subnational estimates carried a ±6 percent margin of error.