A wide majority of Filipinos continue to believe in democracy as the best form of government, but fewer are satisfied with how it works in the country, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa survey released on Saturday by OCTA Research.
The survey found that 80 percent of adult Filipinos agree that they still prefer democracy in the Philippines “even if it has many problems,” while 18 percent disagree and 2 percent remain undecided.
However, only 41 percent said they are satisfied with how democracy functions in the country, while 31 percent expressed dissatisfaction and 26 percent were ambivalent.
“Public trust in democracy remains resilient but conditional,” the report noted, adding that confidence in the system depends largely on visible improvements in governance, accountability, and service delivery.
Across major regions, support for democracy was highest in Balance Luzon (Luzon outside Metro Manila) at 84 percent and lowest in the Visayas at 72 percent. Disagreement with the statement peaked in the Visayas at 26 percent and was lowest in Balance Luzon at 13 percent.
By socioeconomic class, preference for democracy was strongest among Class D (81 percent), followed by Class E (78 percent) and Class ABC (75 percent). Ambivalence remained low across all groups at 2 percent or less.
OCTA said sustaining Filipinos’ faith in democracy requires addressing day-to-day concerns while strengthening civic participation, democratic institutions, and good governance.
