Voters will go for champions of agri, food security – SWS

MANILA, Philippines — Nine out of 10 Filipinos will vote for candidates who have agriculture and food security as their centerpiece agenda, according to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. Conducted from Feb. 15 to 19, the survey yielded results consistent with the findings of an SWS poll done a month before, showing that gut issues remained the top-of-mind concerns of the electorate. Commissioned by the think tank Stratbase, the latest poll showed that 90 percent of Filipinos would support candidates whose advocacy is geared towards agriculture development and food security.

Eighty-one percent of the respondents said reducing the prices of basic services and goods is their prime consideration in making their choices.

The survey had 1,800 respondents nationwide, with a 2-percent margin of error.

According to Stratbase President Dindo Manhit, the results highlighted the top priorities of the Filipino people as food inflation continued to put a strain on household incomes.

“We need candidates who will prioritize food security and take decisive action to address the rising prices of essential goods that Filipinos rely on,” Manhit said.

He recalled that in a SWS survey conducted in January, 59 percent of the respondents identified rice as the commodity with the most significant price increase over the past three months, followed by meat at 25 percent. “This persistent upward trend in prices highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring food affordability and accessibility, making it a critical issue that candidates must address in the upcoming elections,” he said.

—INQUIRER RESEARCH

TAGS: 2025 elections, SWS survey