Inflation, health top concerns of Filipinos

TAMING inflation and staying healthy are the top concerns of majority of Filipinos, the latest survey of OCTA Research showed. The survey, conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, found that 66 percent of the 1,200 respondents ticked off lowering the prices of basic commodities as their biggest concern on the national scale. Next are additional wages for workers and access to affordable food (39 percent), creating more jobs (33 percent), and reducing poverty (25 percent). Amending the Constitution and reducing electricity charges are the least of the respondents' concerns. On the personal level, staying healthy and avoiding illness are the top priorities at 73 percent, followed by finishing their schooling or providing education for their children and having a secure and well-paying job, both at 46 percent. "A higher percentage of Filipinos in National Capital Region (77 percent), Balance Luzon (78 percent), and among Classes ABC (78 percent) and D (74 percent) prioritize health compared to other major areas and socioeconomic classes," OCTA noted. "Notably, a higher percentage of adult Filipinos in Balance Luzon expressed concern about having a secure and well-paying job or source of income than in other significant areas. Regarding the ability to have enough to eat each day, a higher percentage of adult Filipinos in Visayas (64 percent) and those in Class E (57 percent) expressed concern about this," it added. The survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level.