Two-thirds of adult Filipinos approve of the Marcos administration’s handling of the West Philippine Sea dispute, according to an OCTA Research survey released July 10, days before the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award.
The non-commissioned survey found that 66% of respondents strongly or somewhat agreed with the administration’s response to the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. Thirteen percent strongly or somewhat disagreed, while 19% said they did not know or could not answer.
Support exceeded 60% across all four geographic areas covered by the survey. Agreement reached 70% in the National Capital Region, 68% in Balance Luzon, 65% in the Visayas and 62% in Mindanao, where opposition was also highest at 19%.
Majority approval was likewise recorded across socioeconomic groups, with 68% of Class ABC respondents expressing support, followed by 67% of Class D and 63% of Class E respondents. Urban and rural respondents each registered 66% approval, while support stood at 69% among men and 64% among women.
Across educational groups, approval was consistent, reaching 66% among respondents with no formal or elementary education, 67% among those with high school education, 64% among respondents with vocational training and 66% among those with college or postgraduate education.
“Filipino public opinion has consistently and convergently favored a firmer, more assertive government posture in the West Philippine Sea,” OCTA said.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults aged 18 and above nationwide from April 20 to 24, 2026. It carried a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the national level and plus or minus 6 percentage points for subnational estimates, both at a 95% confidence level.
The survey was released two days before the 10th anniversary of the July 12, 2016 arbitral award, which invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. China has rejected the ruling.
