Most Filipinos felt that rice had the most significant price increase among the food items they purchased in the past three months, according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey, conducted in partnership with the Stratbase Group, the think-tank said in a news release.
The survey was conducted from January 17 to 20 and asked the opinion of 1,800 respondents nationwide. It has a ±2 margin of error.
Survey results show 59% of Filipinos said rice had the highest price increase among food items they bought from October to December 2024, while 29% identified meat such as chicken, pork, and beef.
Others cited vegetables (11%) and fish and seafood (4%) as food items that they felt got more expensive in the last three months.
Meanwhile, the same survey also shows that 58% of Filipinos believe that the solutions the Marcos Jr. administration provided to control inflation or the increase in prices of goods and services are insufficient.
Sixteen percent believe the inflation-control solutions of the government are sufficient, while 19% said they are neither sufficient nor insufficient.
Mindanaoans reported the highest dissatisfaction toward the government’s inflation-control solutions with 65% saying they are insufficient, followed by NCR with 60%.
On Wednesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that inflation was at 2.9% in January, the same level it was in December last year.
The National Economic and Development Authority said the steady inflation rate is a good indicator of the government’s commitment to ensure stable prices within the targets of the government.
However, for Stratbase Institute President Prof. Dindo Manhit, the survey results paint a different picture of what the Filipino people are truly experiencing.
“As of December 2024, nearly 26% of Filipino families have experienced involuntary hunger—going without food at least once in the past three months. Coupled with food prices continuing to rise, it’s no surprise that many Filipinos still feel trapped by the burden of inflation,” Manhit said.
“Having majority of the Filipino people say this month that the government’s inflation control solutions are insufficient should be a wake-up call to our leaders. These numbers are the reason why the public’s trust toward the government is continuously declining,” he explained.
Manhit also noted that inflation is a multi-faceted issue that entails several socio-economic concerns.
“Inflation is not a one-dimensional issue focused solely on lowering the cost of basic goods. Addressing inflation requires boosting job opportunities, developing agriculture, ensuring food security, strengthening healthcare, and advocating for equal access to education, workers’ rights, and OFW welfare—issues that 90% of Filipinos would consider when voting for a candidate in line with the upcoming midterm elections,” he said.
“There’s no room for complacency with the current inflation rate. It is crucial for the Marcos administration to work harder to ensure that the Filipino people truly feel the positive impact of their anti-inflation measures,” he added.
