Filipinos want Marcos to address high prices

MAJORITY of Filipinos believe that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should give priority to improving the economy, particularly arresting the rising prices of basic goods, the results of Publicus Asia's «Pahayag 2023 Third Quarter Survey» showed.

The public's economic concerns included affordability of basic necessities and commodities (15 percent), increasing prices (14 percent), job-seeking challenges (12 percent), underpayment (12 percent), and unemployment (10 percent) — issues that have become significant concerns for Filipinos heading into the last quarter of the year.

«It has been revealed that the concerns of Filipino citizens remain consistent with those of the previous quarter. However, a significant shift in focus has occurred, as the relentless rise in prices of basic goods has elevated prices/inflation and the Philippine economy to the forefront of national priorities,» Publicus Asia said in a statement on Monday.

«Approximately a third of Filipinos now see these economic challenges as the most crucial areas for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address,» it added.

The survey also showed Filipinos' macro and micro concerns, with 25 percent of minimally educated individuals prioritizing rising prices and inflation and 26 percent of the 50-59 age group focusing on economic stability. On the other hand, 17 percent of those in the Visayas highlighted corruption as a top concern.

At the same time, 22 percent of Filipinos, particularly those less educated, face challenges in meeting basic needs; 19 percent of 25- to 29-year-olds face job scarcity and skill mismatch; and 19 percent of government workers expressed dissatisfaction with their pay, the survey said.

«These findings reveal a diverse array of pressing issues