MANILA, Philippines — A recent Octa Research survey showed the majority of Filipinos approved of the national government’s response in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a released report of Octa on Friday, July 10, Tunog ng Masa nationwide survey, an independent and non-partisan poll, found 66% of adult Filipinos strongly agreed with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration’s response to the territorial disputes in the WPS between the country and China.
Meanwhile, around 13% of respondents expressed strong disapproval, while 19% said they cannot determine whether to disagree or agree with the government’s efforts to address the WPS conflict.
READ: PH asserts arbitral ruling amid criticisms in Beijing
Results showed the highest favorable response is in the National Capital Region (NCR) at 70%, followed closely by Balance Luzon at 68%, while above the halfway mark are Visayas at 65% and Mindanao at 62%.
The majority of the opposition at 19% was found in Mindanao region, suggesting that “the administration’s approach faces the sharpest scrutiny there,” Octa stated.
The survey, conducted from April 20 to 24, has a total of 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above, carrying a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.
The geographic area, with a margin of error of ±6%, covered the NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao at a 95% confidence level, according to the survey.
Octa said the issued report comes ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on July 12, which ruled that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights over the WPS under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“This release comes as the nation marks the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling. The question this release answers is whether the Filipino public still stands behind the national government’s response, 10 years on,” Octa said. /das
The post Majority of Filipinos support national gov’t response in WPS – survey appeared first on Inquirer.net.
