Nearly three in 10 Filipinos struggle every day to afford basic necessities such as food, household bills and transportation, according to the latest nationwide survey by WR Numero Research, underscoring the economic vulnerability that continues to affect many households.
The survey found that 28.8 percent of Filipinos experienced financial difficulty daily over the past three months. Another 29.8 percent said they struggled at least once or twice a week. Combined together, nearly 6 out of 10 Filipinos (or 58.6 percent) reported difficulty meeting basic household needs at least weekly.
The findings suggest that financial stress remains widespread despite signs of stabilization in some indicators.
More than eight in 10 respondents, or 83 percent, said they experienced difficulty paying for essentials at least once a month.
Only 17% said they rarely or never faced such problems, including just 4.5% who reported never struggling to cover basic expenses.
At the same time, public sentiment about the country’s direction deteriorated further.
Nearly three-fourths of Filipinos, or 73 percent, believed that the Philippines is headed in the wrong direction, compared with 68 percent in June.
In its report, WR Numero Research said the widespread pessimism ‘may form an unfavorable backdrop for incumbents.’
Only 18 percent believe the country is moving in the right direction, a sharp decline from 32 percent in the previous survey, while 10 percent remained undecided.
The results suggest that modest improvements in household finances have yet to translate into greater public optimism.
Compared with June, the share of Filipinos reporting financial difficulty every day declined from 32.2 percent to 28.8 percent, while the combined share of those experiencing hardship daily or weekly eased slightly to 58.6 percent from 61.1 percent.
The proportion who said they rarely or never struggled rose to 17 percent from 15.2 percent.
Still, the survey characterized household financial difficulties as broadly unchanged, noting that a majority of Filipinos continue to experience challenges paying for basic necessities.
The results came from the WR National Poll: Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, a quarterly nationwide survey conducted by WR Numero Research, the polling arm of WR Advisory Group.
The firm describes itself as a Manila-based research and consulting company specializing in policy and intelligence research, public opinion polling, social analytics and strategy advisory services.
According to company materials, it has provided campaign research and strategic support during the 2019 midterm elections, the 2022 presidential elections and the 2025 midterm elections.
The October survey was conducted from October 7 to 13 among 1,225 Filipino adults through face-to-face interviews and carries a national margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.