Manila: A recent OCTA Research survey showed that majority (66 percent) of adult Filipinos support the Marcos administration's response to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute. The findings from the survey, conducted April 20 to 24, were released by OCTA on Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling.

According to Philippines News Agency, of the 1,200 respondents, 66 percent said they either strongly agree or somewhat agree, 13 percent either strongly or somewhat disagree, and 19 percent were undecided. Results also showed that Filipinos prefer measures such as expanding naval troop presence (69 percent), pursuing diplomacy and other peaceful means (66 percent), and modernizing and strengthening the Armed Forces of the Philippines (64 percent) to assert the country's sovereignty over the WPS.

Support for the Marcos administration's response was strongest in the National Capital Region (70 percent), followed by Balance Luzon (68 percent), and the Visayas (65 percent). Mindanao registered the lowest support at 62 percent. Support was highest at 68 percent among Class ABC, followed by 67 percent among Class D, and 63 percent among Class E. Opposition was highest in Mindanao (19 percent), followed by National Capital Region (13 percent), Balance Luzon (12 percent) and the Visayas (11 percent).

Meanwhile, OCTA said the 66 percent figure should not be viewed as an isolated data point but as evidence of an established trend, showing that public opinion has consistently favored a more assertive government response in the WPS dispute. The survey has a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have margins of error of ±6 percent for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, also at a 95 percent confidence level.