The country’s economy and jobs are top election issues among voters interviewed recently by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc., the country’s first and only registered Lobbying and Campaigns Management firm.
At least 65 percent of the 1,500 registered Filipino voter respondents—there are more than 65 million registered voters for the May 9, 2022 national elections—in its PAHAYAG: National Election Tracker Survey conducted between February 11 and 16, 2022, said the economy was one of their top three issues of concern.
More than one-third of the respondents said the economy was their number one concern.
Meanwhile, 56 percent of the respondents identified “jobs” as one of their top three concerns.
Education (34 percent), poverty (24.4 percent), and corruption (23.8 percent) were the other top-of-mind issues among the respondents.
“Economic and livelihood issues appear to be at the forefront of voters’ minds going into the May 2022 election. The data suggest that voters are interested in learning more about the economic platforms of candidates vying for national positions,” said Aureli Sinsuat, Executive Director of PUBLiCUS Asia Inc.
Sinsuat noted the electorate’s concerns about the economy and employment are likely a consequence of the economic slowdown experienced by the Philippines when COVID-19 hit the archipelago in early 2020.
“As the COVID-19 situation continues to improve in the Philippines, voters want to know how aspiring national leaders plan to get the economy back on track in the post-pandemic era,” Sinsuat said.
Sinsuat also urged candidates vying for national office to release detailed information on their plans to stimulate economic recovery and job creation over the next six years.
“Voters have the right to make informed decisions on Election Day based on the economic platforms championed by candidates for higher office. Candidates for higher office should be ready and willing to answer tough questions over the next couple of months about their proposed economic policies,” he said.
The PAHAYAG National Election Tracker Survey is an independent non-commissioned national survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc.
The members of the purposive survey panel were randomly selected from the online research panel marketplace of 200,000 Filipinos maintained by the Singapore office of US-based PURESPECTRUM, based on parameters set by official COMELEC statistics on registered voters.
