People normally say “It is what it is” when referring to an occurrence, practice, or phenomenon that must be endured or tolerated because it is inevitable. It comes with the territory, so to speak.
This comes to mind as we learn about a recent Pulse Asia survey which showed 94% of its respondents saying that corruption is widespread. In fact, 71 percent said corruption is “very” widespread, and 24 percent said “somewhat” widespread. Just 1 percent said corruption is not widespread, with another 5 percent unable to say whether it is widespread or not.
Another item in the December 12-15, 2025 nationwide survey was prompted by the question: “Corruption is a normal part of politics in our country.”
On this, Filipinos were split: some 41 percent of respondents nationwide agreed with the statement, even as 43 percent disagreed. Another 17 percent cannot say whether they agreed or not. But the divergence widens when one considers geographic areas. In the National Capital Region, 50 percent agree while 33 percent disagree. In Balance Luzon and Visayas, those who agree are 45 percent and 48 percent, respectively, while those who disagree make up 40 percent and 36 percent of respondents, respectively. Mindanao, however, tells a different story: just 21 percent agree that corruption is par for the course, and 58 percent disagree.
The divergence is also apparent among socio-economic classes, with 29 percent, 43 percent, and 39 percent of classes C, D, and E, respectively, agreeing with the statement. In contrast, 51 percent, 43 percent and 28 percent of C, D, and E, respectively, disagree with the prompt.
This question is but one of several posed by the poll firm in its face-to-face interviews with 1,200 individuals across the nation. The other questions looked into the specific actions people considered corrupt, the prevalence of corruption, and whether or not it increased or decreased in the past 12 months.
Given seven options to choose from, the highest number of respondents (74 percent) said accepting or giving bribes is a corrupt act, whether it occurs in a public or private setting. Misusing public funds or company resources was cited by 66 percent, and offering or receiving kickbacks for contracts or services was chosen by 64 percent.
These numbers reflect the sustained sentiment of Filipinos who, in the past six months, have been exposed to the breadth and depth of corruption in the government, beginning with the revelations on flood control projects.
More importantly, the number highlights the disparity between how things are and how things could be.
The perception of a high prevalence of corruption shows that people are more aware than ever how so-called public servants are using their positions to pocket funds from taxpayers. But the percentage of those who do not agree that corruption is necessarily part of politics is much lower; in fact, it is just half of those who say corruption is widespread.
To be sure, the number of those who say corruption is part of politics could be lower, ideally. Perhaps the respondents were simply being realistic.
Thus, we can say “it is what it is” when talking about corruption: that it is happening all around us, and to a less extent, that it is part of public life. But it need not be so. The question is, what are we prepared to do to make a dent on this prevalent ill?
Perhaps this would be going against their essence for many public officials who have grown accustomed to milking the public coffers for their benefit. But it is a worthy pursuit for those who are here out of a genuine desire to serve. They will introduce reforms and will not stop at mere rhetoric. They will see these reforms through. As for the people, who have the highest stakes in all this, and whose future is being compromised, we should capitalize on our strong sentiment and reject the notion that corruption is acceptable, tolerable, or inevitable.
An honest government is possible, but are we willing to put in the work required to have it?
