SWS poll: Agri, healthcare top issues for PH voters

By Filane Mikee Cervantes, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Commuters wait for rides in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Friday (Jan. 17, 2025). (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – Majority of Filipino voters in the May 12 midterm elections are most likely to support candidates advocating for agriculture development, food security, and healthcare system improvements, according to the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Friday.

The survey, conducted Feb. 15 to 19, 2025 and commissioned by Stratbase Consultancy, found that 90 percent of respondents would vote for a candidate prioritizing “development of agriculture and ensuring food security,” slightly down from 94 percent in January.

The survey also showed that 90 percent of respondents expressed support for candidates advocating for the “strengthening of the healthcare system,” compared to 93 percent in the previous month.

Job creation also remained a key issue, with 89 percent saying they would vote for a candidate pushing for “increasing job opportunities,” although this marked a decline from 94 percent in January.

Support for “equal access to education” saw a similar dip from 92 percent to 89 percent.

Other significant concerns among voters included workers’ rights and overseas Filipino workers’ welfare (88 percent, down from 92 percent), reducing the poverty and hunger of Filipinos (83 percent from 87 percent), and controlling the prices of basic services and goods (81 percent from 85 percent).

Support for candidates addressing climate change and disaster preparedness dropped from 87 percent to 79 percent, while those prioritizing national security and defending sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea saw a decline from 83 percent to 77 percent.

The survey likewise showed that 77 percent of respondents back candidates who support fighting illegal drugs, down slightly from 79 percent.

It also showed that 75 percent of the respondents support candidates advocating for energy security and the use of renewable energy, compared to 82 percent in January.

Two newly included issues in the February survey saw considerable support: 72 percent said they would vote for a candidate who prioritizes “fighting crimes that victimize ordinary citizens, like killings, holdups, robberies, and physical violence,” while 53 percent supported a “fair impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate.”

Anti-corruption remains a significant issue, with 70 percent supporting candidates advocating for “eradicating graft and corruption in government.”

Support for enacting a law against political dynasties, meanwhile, slightly increased from 59 percent to 63 percent.

The survey polled 1,800 registered voters nationwide through face-to-face interviews across Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It has a ±2.31% national margin of error.

The survey used a card-shuffling method to randomly present issues to respondents, ensuring unbiased responses.