By Ma. Cristina Arayata | Philippine News Agency
A recent OCTA Research survey showed that majority (66%) of adult Filipinos support the Marcos administration’s response to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute.
The findings from the survey, conducted April 20 to 24, were released by OCTA on Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling.
Of the 1,200 respondents, 66% said they either strongly agree or somewhat agree, 13% either strongly or somewhat disagree, and 19% were undecided.
Results also showed that Filipinos prefer measures such as expanding naval troop presence (69%), pursuing diplomacy and other peaceful means (66%), and modernizing and strengthening the Armed Forces of the Philippines (64%) to assert the country’s sovereignty over the WPS.
Support for the Marcos administration’s response was strongest in the National Capital Region (70%), followed by Balance Luzon (68%), and the Visayas (65%). Mindanao registered the lowest support at 62%.
Support was highest at 68% among Class ABC, followed by 67% among Class D, and 63% among Class E.
Opposition was highest in Mindanao (19%), followed by the National Capital Region (13%), Balance Luzon (12%), and the Visayas (11%).
Meanwhile, OCTA said the 66% figure should not be viewed as an isolated data point but as evidence of an established trend, showing that public opinion has consistently favored a more assertive government response in the WPS dispute.
The survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.
Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have margins of error of ±6% at the 95% confidence level for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
