MANILA, Philippines — Controlling the increase in prices of basic goods and services remains the most urgent concern of Filipinos, a recent survey conducted by the OCTA Research group showed.

The survey, conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, found that 66 percent of respondents identified inflation as among their three most urgent national concerns. This slightly went up from the 65 percent obtained in a similar survey conducted in June.

Controlling inflation was the most urgent national concern across geographic areas and socioeconomic classes. It was also the only issue selected by a majority of the respondents.

Following inflation were increasing wages of workers (39 percent), having access to affordable food like rice, vegetables and meat (39 percent), creating more jobs (33 percent), reducing poverty (25 percent) and providing free quality education (19 percent).

Other urgent national concerns included fighting graft and corruption (17 percent), defending the ownership of the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea (10 percent), promoting peace and order (10 percent), reducing taxes (nine percent), fighting criminality (nine percent), stopping the destruction of the environment (eight percent) and equal enforcement of the law (six percent).

Five other issues were selected by less than five percent of the respondents: defending the integrity of Philippine territory, protecting overseas Filipino workers, controlling population growth, preparing for any terrorist threat and changing the Constitution.

Personal concerns

The respondents were asked to select up to three personal concerns they deemed as most urgent.

Some 73 percent selected “to remain healthy,” followed by “to finish schooling or provide schooling for children” (46 percent), have a secure and well-paying source of income (46 percent), having enough to eat (46 percent), avoid being a victim of crime (39 percent), to have savings (32 percent) and to own a house and lot (19 percent).

OCTA’s non-commissioned Tugon ng Masa survey had 1,200 adult respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.