If your grocery bill has been stressing you out, you're definitely not alone.

In Pulse Asia's September 2026 Ulat ng Bayan survey, 71% of Filipinos named controlling inflation as an issue the government must address right away. Out of 19 issues, it was the only one chosen by a majority.

The top concerns

  • Controlling inflation: 71%

  • Fighting corruption: 39%

  • Higher pay for workers: 36%

  • Fighting crime: 24%

  • Reducing poverty: 21%

  • More jobs: 18%

  • Fighting illegal drugs: 18%

  • Lower gas prices amid the energy crisis: 14%

What changed

Worry about prices went up compared with a year earlier, across all income classes, with big jumps in the rest of Luzon and in Mindanao. Concern about corruption dropped by 12 points.

The fine print

Pulse Asia interviewed 2,400 adults face to face from September 17 to 24, 2026. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Bottom line: when it comes to what matters most right now, it's still the presyo.