MANILA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine polling firm on Monday said its nationwide survey revealed "record surge in public alarm over corruption."
The survey, conducted by the OCTA Research from Sept. 25 to 30, found that public concern over corruption in government rose sharply this quarter, climbing by 18 percentage points from 13 percent in July to 31 percent in September.
"This marks the highest level of concern recorded and the first time that corruption as an issue has entered the top five national concerns in OCTA's surveys," the pollster said.
It added that the sudden surge in concern over corruption has overtaken improving or increasing wages, which had consistently ranked among the top three urgent national issues since March 2024.
"This reflects a notable shift in public priorities -- from primarily economic anxieties to governance and accountability concerns," OCTA said.
Despite the surge in corruption-related concerns, controlling the rising prices of basic goods and services remains the top national concern for adult Filipinos, the survey showed.
On Sunday, the country's 34 large business groups urged Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos to address the "historic, massive and unprecedented corruption scandal" plaguing the country, condemning it as a "crisis" that has eroded public trust and now threatens national security. ■
