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A majority of Filipinos want the Marcos administration to prioritize measures that reinforce the assertion of the Philippines’ territorial rights and presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), according to a survey by OCTA Research.
In its Tugon ng Masa nationwide survey, the poll firm said Filipinos identified a set of measures the government should undertake to effectively address the WPS conflict, and these centered on territorial assertion, diplomacy, and defense modernization.
The respondents ranked the following measures they believed are important in addressing the sea dispute:
- Further assert the Philippines’ territorial rights through expanded naval patrols and troop presence in WPS (69%)
- Further assert the Philippines’ territorial rights through diplomacy and other peaceful methods (66%)
- To modernize and strengthen the Philippine military’s capability to protect the country’s territories (64%)
- Expand diplomatic efforts with the countries within and outside of the region to reduce tension in the sea (37%)
- Conduct joint maritime patrol and exercises with ally countries (29%)
- Shelving disputes for joint economic development of the area (23%)
- Don’t know/refuse to answer (9%)
OCTA conducted the survey fieldwork from March 19 to 25, 2026, using face-to-face interviews. A total of 1,200 probability respondents aged 18 and above, both male and female, were interviewed for the study.
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% for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, also at a 95% confidence level.
The survey was commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
As to the Filipinos’ familiarity with WPS issues, the survey showed that about 72% of adult Filipinos are familiar with the current issues on territorial disputes in the WPS, while 27% are not familiar.
“This indicates that awareness of WPS related issues has reached a substantial majority of the adult population, suggesting that public opinion on the issue is informed by a relatively broad level of national awareness,” OCTA said.
Across major areas, familiarity is highest in NCR (79%) and the Visayas (77%), while Balance
Luzon (69%) and Mindanao (69%) are somewhat lower, according to the group.
By socioeconomic class, familiarity is highest among Class ABC (86%) and lowest among Class E (64%).
“These patterns are broadly consistent with differences in access to information, media exposure, and educational attainment. However, the findings also suggest that awareness of the WPS issue extends beyond traditional information-rich sectors and has become a national concern that cuts across geographic and socioeconomic groups,” OCTA said. —LDF, GMA News