65% of Filipinos list staying healthy, avoiding illness as top personal concern
MANILA, Philippines — A large majority of Filipinos are concerned with staying healthy and avoiding sickness as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, a survey of the OCTA Research suggested.
The Tugon ng Masa survey of 1,200 respondents found that 65% of adult Filipinos identified staying healthy and avoiding illness as their top personal concern.
It is the most urgent personal issue for residents of Metro Manila (68%), Balance Luzon (69%), and Mindanao (66%) and the three socio-economic classes.
A year into the pandemic, the Philippines recorded 684,311 COVID-19 cases, including 13,039 deaths. The country is battling another surge in COVID-19 infections, which is feared to strain the health system anew.
Authorities blamed the spike in cases to decreased compliance with public health protocols, which is aggravated by the circulation of more transmissible variants.
Having a secure and well-paying job or source of income is the second urgent personal concern nationwide at 56%. In Visayas, it is the most pressing concern of the residents there at 61%.
Other urgent personal concerns of Filipinos include avoiding being a victim of a serious crime (47%), finishing school or providing schooling for their children (45%), and being able to have enough to eat every day (37%), owning a house and lot (26%) and saving up (23%).
Issues that Duterte admin must address
The survey also found that 47% of adult Filipinos mentioned improving or increasing wages of workers as the most important issue that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte must address.
Duterte, who promised to end all forms of labor-only contractualization in his campaign, vetoed the security of tenure bill in July 2019, a day before the measure would have lapsed into law.
The other pressing national concerns include access to affordable food such as rice, vegetables and meat (39%), controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus (38%), controlling the increase in prices of basic goods and services (32%), and providing free quality education (25%).
The survey was conducted from January 26 to February 1 and utilized a sample design that allows for a 95% confidence level with a ±3% margin of error. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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