Pinoys to still vote for bets who tackle job, food, health issues — survey

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino voters have consistently, for the past months, expressed their preference for candidates who have plans to spur job creation, ensure food security and improve the country’s healthcare system.   

According to the latest commissioned Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Wednesday, April 30, these concerns remain unchanged.

Top of the list continues to be the lack of job opportunities, with 93% of respondents saying they would support a candidate addressing this problem.

Following this is the development of the country's agricultural sector to ensure there would be enough food to feed the Filipino population (93%). 

“Inflation continues to eat into daily wages, driving up the prices of food, transportation and essential services. Amid rising costs, even those with employment often find their incomes insufficient to provide for their families,” Stratbase President Dindo Manhit said in a statement.  

“Filipinos are not asking for much — only for the dignity of stable work and the ability to support their loved ones,” he added. 

The third major concern is the state of the Philippine healthcare system, with 91% of respondents seeking leaders committed to improving healthcare.

Filipinos also want candidates to prioritize workers’ rights and the welfare of overseas Filipino workers, with 88% saying they would vote for those who commit to tackling this issue.

Reducing poverty and hunger ranked fifth among voters’ concerns, consistent with self-rated surveys showing these issues affecting up to 63% of households, the highest level in 21 years.

RELATED: Self-rated poverty highest in 21 years; 63% of Pinoy households say they’re poor

Equal access to education, once among the top five concerns, has slightly dropped to 85%, now tied for sixth place with the cost of basic goods and services.

“Voters must continue scrutinizing each candidate’s track record and platform. Promises about job creation should not be empty words — they must be backed by clear programs and a history of action,” Manhit said.

Other advocacies that at least seven in 10 Filipinos consider when choosing candidates include:

• Addressing climate change impacts and enhancing disaster preparedness - 83%
• Fighting illegal drugs - 80%
• Ensuring energy security and renewable energy use - 79%
• Defending national security and West Philippine Sea sovereignty - 78%
• Eradicating government graft and corruption - 73%

Manhit, a political scientist, stressed that voters should go beyond campaign promises and hold candidates accountable after the elections.

“A government that prioritizes jobs must also protect democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law and foster unity — not division,” he added. 

In the latest SWS pre-election survey on senatorial preferences, most candidates from the administration-backed Alyansa slate remain in the winning circle, while numbers for Duterte-aligned bets have been picking up following Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment and former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest by the International Criminal Court.

See how they performed over the past months in pre-election polls here.

The SWS surveyed 1,800 Filipino adults from April 11 to 14, asking them to select from a list of issues and advocacies they would consider when voting in the 2025 midterm elections. The survey has a margin of error of ±2%.