MANILA — Inflation remained the most pressing national concern among adult Filipinos in the second quarter of 2026, while staying healthy and avoiding illness continued to rank as their top personal concern, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey conducted by OCTA Research.

The nationwide survey found that 37% of respondents identified controlling the prices of basic goods and services as the country’s most urgent issue, down from 45% in March 2026.

“The percentage of respondents citing controlling the increase in the prices of basic goods and services fell by 8 percentage points, from 45% in March 2026 to 37% in July 2026. Even with this decline, inflation continued to rank as the number one national concern, underscoring the continued importance of cost-of-living issues to Filipino households,” the survey stated.

Concern over increasing workers’ wages ranked second, with 34% of respondents citing it as a priority, up slightly from 33% in the previous survey.

“Meanwhile, concern over improving or increasing the wages and salaries of workers remained relatively stable, increasing slightly from 33% to 34%, making it the second most urgent national concern. Together, these findings suggest that economic and cost-of-living issues continue to dominate the public’s policy priorities,” OCTA said.

Meanwhile, concern over graft and corruption increased from 26% to 32%, making it the third most urgent national concern.

“This makes corruption the third most urgent national concern cited by adult Filipinos, reflecting heightened public attention to issues of transparency, accountability, and integrity in government,” the survey noted.

The survey also found that concern over providing free quality education rose from 17% to 22%, while concern about reducing poverty declined from 20% to 12%, the lowest level recorded in the survey series.

“In contrast, concern about reducing poverty declined sharply by 8 percentage points, from 20% to 12%, the lowest level recorded in the survey series,” OCTA said.

On personal concerns, staying healthy and avoiding illness remained the top priority, cited by 65% of respondents, slightly lower than the 67% recorded in March.

The proportion of respondents who cited having enough food every day increased from 46% to 47%, while concern over having a secure and well-paying job slipped slightly from 42% to 41%. The percentage of Filipinos who identified the ability to save money as a priority remained at 41%.

“Taken together, the results indicate that while the sharpest edge of inflation-related concern has eased, cost-of-living and governance issues continue to shape Filipinos’ national outlook, while health, food security, and financial resilience remain the primary personal concerns of Filipino households,” the survey said.

The Tugon ng Masa survey was conducted from July 4 to 11 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above nationwide. It has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level, while subnational estimates for the National Capital Region, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao have a ±6% margin of error.

OCTA said the survey was conducted during a period marked by major political, economic, and environmental developments, including the opening of the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, the arrest of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on plunder charges, rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East, higher electricity rates, and the release of the June 2026 inflation report.

“Although the survey does not establish causal relationships between these events and public opinion, it is important to situate the findings within their broader national and international context,” OCTA said.