84% of Pinoys support gov’t efforts in West PH Sea dispute

A majority of Filipinos support the efforts of the government to resolve the ongoing maritime territorial dispute between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea, according to the latest survey by OCTA Research.

The latest Tugon ng Masa polls showed that 84% of Filipinos expressed their support for the current actions by the government to assert the country’s maritime rights in the disputed sea.

The highest percentage score of correspondents who support the government action in the disputed waters was observed in the National Capital Region at 90%, followed by Visayas at 87%, Mindanao at 83%, and Balance Luzon at 81%.

“Agreement levels of at least 90% were recorded in MIMAROPA (100%), Bicol Region (99%), Negros Island Region (98%), Zamboanga Peninsula (95%), Davao Region (94%), Western Visayas (93%), National Capital Region (90%), Ilocos Region (90%), and Eastern Visayas (90%),” said OCTA.

“Meanwhile, the lowest agreement was recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region, at 66%.”

Across socioeconomic classes, the highest rate of support are those from Class D at 84%, followed by Class E at 83%, and the Class ABC at 77%.

Further, the survey conducted in the last quarter of 2024 revealed that 91% of Filipinos are familiar with the territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

Awareness is highest in the Visayas with 96% of the respondents are aware of the issue, while Mindanao recorded the lowest awareness rate at 87%.

The survey also showed that awareness on the maritime issue is slightly higher among adult Filipinos in rural areas, at 93%, compared to those in urban areas, at 90%.

Awareness on the tension between Manila and Beijing was highest among those with college or postgraduate education, at 95%, and lowest among those with vocational education, OCTA said.

The non-commissioned survey was conducted from November 10 to 16, 2024 through face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents aged 18 years old and above.

The survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.

Meanwhile, the subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following margins of error at a 95% confidence level: ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. — BAP, GMA Integrated News