A recent survey commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) revealed that 76 percent of Filipinos are committed to defending Philippine territory, including the West Philippine Sea, according to Octa Research on Monday, May 25, 2026.
Survey Details
The poll, conducted from March 19 to 25, surveyed 1,200 adult respondents and asked how strongly they agreed with the statement: “I love my country, and I am committed to supporting the government in defending its territory and asserting sovereign rights, including over the West Philippine Sea.”
Results showed that only seven percent disagreed with the statement, while 17 percent were undecided.
Regional Breakdown
Support was highest in the National Capital Region at 83 percent and in Balance Luzon at 77 percent. Mimaropa posted the highest support level at 93 percent, followed by Caraga at 91 percent and Western Visayas at 90 percent. Respondents from the Visayas and Mindanao recorded the lowest agreement rates at 68 percent and 75 percent, respectively. Central Visayas posted the lowest agreement level at 45 percent.
“Agreement ranges from a high of 93 percent in Mimaropa to a low of 45 percent in Central Visayas — a 48-point gap that reveals significant regional variation beneath the national headline,” Octa said.
“The survey’s most critical outlier is the Davao Region, where disagreement reaches 34 percent, five times the national average, making it the single most important sub-national finding of the study,” it added.
Demographic Insights
Octa also said agreement was highest among vocational graduates at 85 percent, followed by college-educated Filipinos at 80 percent. By socioeconomic class, support was highest among Classes ABCD at 76 percent, while Class E registered 71 percent.
“Support for territorial defense is not concentrated among the educated or affluent. Class D — which comprises 75 percent of the Filipino population — mirrors the national average exactly at 76 percent,” Octa said.
Methodology
The survey carried a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey had margins of error of ±6 percent for the National Capital Region, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, also at a 95 percent confidence level.
