Majority of Filipinos believed that the measures of the administration to control prices is not enough, a recent survey shows many citizens felt a significant increase in the cost of basic commodities by the end of previous year.

The Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey done with the Stratbase Group done last Jan 17 to 20 shows that "58 percent of Filipinos believe that the solutions" the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "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 percent said they are neither sufficient nor insufficient," it stated.

"Mindanaoans reported the highest dissatisfaction toward the government’s inflation-control solutions with 65 percent saying they are insufficient, followed by NCR with 60 percent," the survey noted.

The survey, done before the Department of Agriculture's declaration of a food security emergency on rice last Monday, also shows that "59 percent of Filipinos said rice had the highest price increase among food items they bought from October to December 2024, while 29 percent identified meat such as chicken, pork, and beef."

"Others cited vegetables (11 percent) and fish and seafood ( four percent) as food items that they felt got more expensive in the last three months," it said.

Despite the claim of the National Economic and Development Authority that steady inflation rate from December 2024 to January 2025 is a good indicator to ensure stable prices, Stratbase Institute President Dindo Manhit said the survey results paint a different picture of what the Filipino people are truly experiencing.

“As of December 2024, nearly 26 percent 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,” he 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,” Manhit explained.

He 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 percent 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. Robina Asido/DMS