Economy and inflation remain the top issue Filipinos want addressed at 67%; solutions to current national concerns rank highest among SONA expectations
MANILA, Philippines (26 July 2026) — Filipinos want President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) to deliver solutions and account for past commitments, ranking both well above reports of what the administration has accomplished, a nationwide survey by EON The Stakeholder Relations Group and research partner Tangere has found.
Asked what they most want to hear in this year’s SONA, 48% of respondents named solutions to current national problems. Anti-corruption measures and government reform followed at 36%, while 35% said they want updates on commitments made in previous SONAs. Reports on the administration’s accomplishments were cited by 22% of respondents.
Among the issues respondents want addressed, the economy and inflation ranked highest at 67%, followed by jobs and wages (56%), education (53%), agriculture and food security (47%), and healthcare (45%).
The survey also examined public perceptions of the government’s ability to address national concerns. Forty-nine percent of respondents said they distrust the government’s ability to solve the country’s problems, while 29% expressed trust and 22% said they were undecided. Similarly, 55% said they do not believe the government listens to ordinary Filipinos, while 54% said the government does not understand the realities they face.
When asked about previous SONAs, 46% of respondents said promises made in earlier addresses had not been fulfilled. Meanwhile, 31% said they believe the government can deliver on the commitments expected to be announced this year.
Survey results are consistent with insights from EON’s 2024 Philippine Trust Study, conducted with the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Development Studies among 1,800 Filipinos nationwide. The study found that consistency between words and actions is among the strongest drivers of trust in government. Thirty-four percent of respondents said consistent past actions would increase their trust in government, while 35% said confidence would grow if the government demonstrated it would continue acting consistently in the future. These were the highest scores for these trust drivers across the six sectors examined. EON has tracked institutional trust in the Philippines since 2011 through the Philippine Trust Index.
“The survey suggests that Filipinos are looking not only for plans and priorities in this year’s SONA, but also for updates on how previous commitments have been carried out,” said Malyn Molina, President and Chief Operating Officer of EON The Stakeholder Relations Group. “Our broader research on trust also shows that consistency between commitments and delivery remains an important factor in strengthening public trust in institutions.”
About the survey
The EON–Tangere Pre-SONA Survey 2026 is a non-commissioned survey conducted among 1,200 Filipino adults aged 18 and above nationwide.
- Fieldwork dates: 7–10 July 2026
- Data collection mode: Self-administered survey via Tangere’s mobile-based respondent application
- Sampling method: Stratified random sampling (quota-based) drawn from Tangere’s respondent panel
- Margin of error: ±2.96 percentage points at a 95% confidence level for national results; wider for subgroups
- Geographic distribution: NCR 12%, Northern Luzon 23%, Southern Luzon 22%, Visayas 20%, Mindanao 23%
- Demographic distribution: 50% male, 50% female; 14% aged 18–25, 33% aged 26–35, 36% aged 36–50, 17% aged 51 and above
- Weighting: Results are unweighted and reported as collected
Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not total 100%. The question on SONA expectations allowed up to three responses; the question on priority issues allowed up to five.
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