OCTA poll: Only 1 percent believe Cha-cha is urgent

MANILA, Philippines — Only one in every 100 Filipinos identified Charter change as an urgent national concern in a recent survey conducted by the OCTA Research group.

Out of the 18 issues provided to the respondents of OCTA’s non-commissioned Tugon ng Masa survey conducted on Dec. 10 to 14 and released yesterday, only one percent selected changing the Constitution as among their top three most urgent national concerns, indicating that it is not a priority for them.

Like in the previous surveys, controlling inflation or the rise in prices in basic goods remained the most urgent national concern of the respondents, with 73 percent selecting it as among their top three.

This was followed by access to affordable rice, vegetables and meat (45 percent), creating more jobs (36 percent), improving the wages of workers (34 percent) and reducing poverty (32 percent).

Also rated were providing free and quality education (15 percent), fighting graft and corruption (13 percent), promoting peace and order (10 percent), fighting criminality (eight percent), equal enforcement of the law (seven percent) and reducing the amount of taxes (six percent).

Obtaining less than five percent were protecting the welfare of OFWs (four percent), preparing for a terrorist threat (four percent), stopping the destruction of the environment (four percent), defending Philippine territory (three percent), controlling the spread of COVID-19 (three percent) and controlling population growth (three percent).

Some respondents also wrote in their own answers, with lowering the cost of electricity and fighting illegal drugs obtaining less than one percent.

“In December 2023, the urgency of controlling the increase in prices of basic goods and services persists among adult Filipinos. There is a substantial increase from 52 percent in July 2023 to the latest figure of 73 percent, marking a notable 21 percentage point increase,” said OCTA.

“The percentage of adult Filipinos whose most pressing national concern is the improvement or increase in wages or salaries of workers has decreased by 13 percentage points, dropping from 47 percent in July 2023 to 34 percent in December 2023. This concern has shifted