Pinoys still rely on social media for news – Pulse Asia

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the prevalence of false information online, Filipinos continue to rely on social media platforms, particularly Facebook, as their primary source of news, a survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed.

The May 3 to 7 survey, commissioned by the Stratbase group, found that 83 percent of the respondents use online platforms as news sources.

Some 75 percent specifically selected Facebook, while 38 percent chose YouTube.

Another 11 percent were using short-form video platform TikTok as a news source, while only 10 percent said they use online news sites.

The total exceeds 100 percent as the respondents were allowed to select up to three news sources.

The survey showed that only 64 percent rely on television as a news source, while 31 percent said they get news from family and friends. Another 18 percent selected friends and acquaintances.

Twenty-seven percent selected radio as a news source, while only three percent chose newspapers.

The results were part of the first pre-election survey commissioned by Stratbase for the upcoming 2028 elections.

“The battle for public opinion in 2028 will be fought largely online. Candidates and political movements that fail to engage voters in the digital space risk losing relevance, especially among younger and highly connected Filipinos,” Stratbase founder Dindo Manhit said.

“At the same time, the continued influence of television, family networks and radio reminds us that campaigns must still communicate across multiple platforms and communities if they hope to build a truly national constituency,” he said.