Nearly all Filipino adults (94%) believe corruption in government is widespread, with large majorities (71%) describing it as “very widespread,” according to a Pulse Asia survey.
In the latest Ulat ng Bayan survey, results showed that from September to December 2025, the percentage of those who consider corruption in the Philippine government to be very widespread decreased at -7 percentage points.
The perception of corruption varies across different regions, with Metro Manila and the Visayas reporting the highest belief in widespread corruption at 96%, followed by Mindanao at 94%, and Balance Luzon, which recorded the lowest at 93%.
Pulse Asia noted minimal changes in public opinion on this issue from September to December 2025.
The only significant movements were a decrease in the percentages of people who believe corruption is very widespread, both overall in the Philippines (down by 7 percentage points) and specifically in the Visayas (down by 12 percentage points), Mindanao (down by 15 percentage points), and among Class C respondents (down by 18 percentage points).
The survey also revealed that a significant majority of Filipino adults (74%) consider accepting or giving bribes as corrupt whether these take place in the public or private setting.
Among seven actions evaluated, majorities identified the following as corrupt: accepting or giving bribes (74%), misusing public funds or company resources (66%), and offering or receiving kickbacks (64%).
At the national level, other actions considered corrupt by Filipino adults include evading taxes or regulatory requirements (42%), insider trading or financial fraud (42%), nepotism or favoritism in hiring or promotions (39%), and the non-disclosure of conflicts of interest (21%).
However, non-disclosure of conflicts of interest is the least frequently mentioned corrupt action across different regions and social classes, ranging from 12% to 28% and 6% to 28%, respectively.
Pulse Asia highlighted that two significant overall changes were a decline in the percentage of individuals who view non-disclosure of conflicts of interest (down by 6 percentage points) and insider trading or financial fraud (down by 7 percentage points) as corrupt acts.
Additionally, the survey found that 74% of the adult population believes that corruption in the Philippine government has increased in the past year, a decrease from the September 2025 figure of 85%.
Overall, there is nearly equal division in public opinion regarding whether corruption is a normal part of politics in the country, with 41% agreeing and 43% disagreeing.
The face-to-face survey was conducted from December 12 to 15, involving 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above, with a margin of error of ±2.8% at the 95% confidence level.
