Six in 10 registered voters believe the Philippines' overall condition has deteriorated over the past decade, with that sentiment most pronounced among respondents in Mindanao (67%) and the Visayas (66%), according to an October survey by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc. As a quarterly tracker, the poll offers a recurring read on public mood that complements the government's official economic statistics.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the polling firm noted that perceptions are more mixed at the household level: 40% of respondents said their personal financial circumstances had improved compared with 10 years ago, while 38% said their household finances had worsened.

As for the nation's current state, half of voters, or 50%, view the country's present situation unfavorably — a slight decline from 53% in the previous quarterly reading, the pollster said. More than one in five voters (21%) regard the current national state as favorable, unchanged from the prior quarter.

Asked about the country's general direction, 48% of respondents said the Philippines is heading the wrong way, down slightly from 51% previously. Conversely, the share of citizens who believe the nation is moving in the right direction edged up to 28% from 26%.

"Expectations for the national economy have weakened," the research firm noted.

Official statistics provide context for those views. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed economic growth slowed to 2.3% year on year in the second quarter. September inflation surged to 7.2% on in transport, utility, and food prices, while the August unemployment rate stood at 5.3%, representing 2.77 million jobless Filipinos nationwide. Taken together, the PSA figures and PUBLiCUS's survey results give analysts two independent lenses on the same period: hard economic data on one side and voter perception on the other.

Against that backdrop, about 46% of voters anticipate an economic downturn in the coming quarter, up from 41% in the prior period, while those expecting positive economic developments dipped to 28% from 29%.

In contrast to the national economic anxiety, household financial expectations remain comparatively resilient. About 44% of voters anticipate an improvement in their personal financial situation in the near term, though this was slightly down from 46%. Roughly one in four respondents (25%) expect their household finances to deteriorate, up from 22%. Subsequent PUBLiCUS quarterly readings and upcoming official releases — including the PSA's third-quarter growth and October inflation reports — will show whether that gap between national and household outlooks narrows.

Anti-Administration Sentiment

Meanwhile, nearly half of voters, or 47%, currently identify as anti-administration, while 38% consider themselves neutral, describing themselves as neither pro- nor anti-administration. Support for the government remains constrained, with the National Capital Region recording 21% of respondents identifying as pro-administration. Anti-administration sentiment was most concentrated in Mindanao, at 57%.

Attitudes toward the political opposition were similarly lukewarm: 43% of voters identified as neither pro- nor anti-opposition, while 35% expressed an anti-opposition stance.

Overall, anxiety remains a dominant theme in the public's disposition. Although the share of voters expressing a pessimistic outlook fell to 68% from 72%, anxiety was reported by 27% of respondents, making it more prevalent than optimism, which was cited by 23%.

The noncommissioned survey — conducted at the polling firm's own initiative rather than on behalf of a client — was carried out from Oct. 1 to 4 among 1,581 registered voters, with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.

— Erika Mae P. Sinaking, BusinessWorld