In a national survey of 1,200 respondents, 51% or 549 respondents said they did not trust China, while 48% or 489 respondents said they did not trust Russia.
“Several incidents of harassment committed against the Philippine coast guard and the Filipino fishermen by the Chinese coast guard in the disputed waters have always resulted in negative public perception toward China,” he said.
“Past and present surveys indicate that the Filipinos have felt strongly about this geopolitical issue.”
Pulitzer Prize winner and Oculum Oversight Board member Manny Mogato said “Oculum’s third-quarter survey only confirmed the fact that Filipinos have low trust ratings in China due to its increased coercive activities in the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea.”
“When the survey was taken, there were reports of shadowing, blocking, and dangerous maneuvers by the Chinese Coast Guard vessels on Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
Following China were Russia and Kuwait with 48% and 31% distrust ratings, respectively.
Coronacion said Russia’s low rating might be attributed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Similar to China’s case in the South China Sea region, the Filipino public feel that there is no moral justification for acts of aggression by these states,” he said.
Coronacion said Kuwait’s poor rating can be due to “OFWs’ various unpleasant
experiences” working in the said country.
Mogato noted that the six-year presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, who had high approval ratings, “failed to influence Filipinos to raise trust ratings in China.” Even Duterte’s move to bring the country closer to Beijing and Moscow and, at the same time, distance from its traditional security ally, the United States, did not affect Filipinos’ view of these countries.
The Oculum third-quarter national survey, conducted during the period July 17-31, 2023, asked respondents to rate their support for 14 countries with geopolitical issues with the Philippines and those identified with a high number of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).
The Oculum third-quarter national opinion poll was conducted through a face- to-face interview of 1,200 respondents 18 years old and above, randomly selected through multistage probability sampling. The respondents were distributed as follows: 300 from the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila, 300 from the rest of Luzon, 300 from the Visayas, and 300 from Mindanao.
For each of these four regions, the areas surveyed – cities and municipalities and barangays – were randomly selected through a computer-assisted tool. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 3 points at the national level.
Below is an analysis of the survey results by Dr. Dennis Coronacion, Chief Political Analyst of Oculum Research and Analytics, Philippines.
Key Findings on “Distrust” in Countries:
- China (Rank 1): China received the highest “Little or No Trust” at 51%, marking it as the most distrusted country among Filipinos.
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- This can be attributed to the media reports about the aggressive behavior of China in the South China Sea and West Philippine Several incidents of harassment committed against the Philippine coast guard and the Filipino fishermen by the Chinese coast guard in the disputed waters have always resulted in negative public perception toward China.
- Past and present surveys indicate that the Filipinos have felt strongly about this geopolitical issue.
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- Russia (Rank 2) and Kuwait (Rank 3): Russia and Kuwait followed closely with 48% and 31% “Distrust,” respectively.
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- The little trust showed by the survey respondents can be due to the negative image created by Russia’s invasion of Similar to China’s case in the South China Sea region, the Filipino public feel that there is no moral justification for acts of aggression by these states.
- Kuwait’s case can probably be explained by our OFWs’ various unpleasant experiences in working in the said There are television and radio programs, such as “Isumbong Mo kay Tulfo,” that allow our OFWs and their relatives to air their grievances and bad experiences in the Middle Eastern countries.
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- Saudi Arabia (Rank 4) and Qatar (Rank 5): Both countries received 30% and 27% “Distrust,” indicating mistrust towards the Middle
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- Similar to Kuwait’s Our OFWs’ various unpleasant experiences in working in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. There are television and radio programs, such as “Isumbong Mo kay Tulfo,” that allow our OFWs and their relatives to air their grievances and bad experiences in the Middle Eastern countries.
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- UAE (Rank 6) and Taiwan (Rank 7): UAE and Taiwan received 22% and 20% “Distrust,”
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- The survey respondents’ perception about Taiwan, which is moderately “no trust little trust,” can be attributed to the slightly positive view about the good working conditions in the said There is a considerable number of Filipinos working in Taiwan as professionals and factory workers and it is one of the top destinations of OFWs.
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- United Kingdom (Rank 8) and Singapore (Rank 9): Both countries garnered 19% “Distrust.”
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- If there’s a factor that can explain the ranks of United Kingdom and Singapore in the survey, it is the economic Both countries are a favorite destination of OFWs due to good working conditions, higher compensation, and quality of life. Also, the Philippines has good relationships with those countries.
- Both countries are also popular among Filipino students looking for scholarships abroad.
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- Australia (Rank 10) and USA (Rank 11): Australia and the USA received 16% and 14% “Distrust” respectively.
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- Australia and USA rank relatively high mainly due to economic, social, and cultural factors. They are among the favorite places of Filipino immigrants because of their kinship connections (family members or relatives who have resettled in those countries) and better economic
- Our historical past and close political ties with the US can account for the positive view that the Filipinos have regarding that country. The US’ image of a reliable elder brother has always resonated in the Filipino public
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- Hong Kong (Rank 12) and Japan (Rank 13): Hong Kong and Japan received 14% and 13% “Distrust,” respectively.
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- Hong Kong and Japan ranked high in the surveys due to economic, social, and cultural factors. First, both are among the top destinations of our OFWs. Japan has been a top destination since the 1980s. Second, Filipinos tour those places since they are affordable.
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- Canada (Rank 14): Canada received the least “Distrust” at 13%.
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- Canada tops the countries in the survey primarily due to the positive image created by the experiences of Filipino immigrants that the country provides better economic opportunities and is an ideal place for relocating Filipino
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These findings showcase a diverse range of attitudes towards different countries, reflecting the complexity of historical, political, economic, and cultural factors that shape trust or distrust. The analysis provides insights into the diplomatic considerations faced by the Philippines and other countries in fostering collaboration and understanding.
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Below is an analysis of the survey results by Pulitzer Prize winner Manny Mogato, member of the Oversight Board of Oculum Research and Analytics Philippines.
Oculum’s third-quarter survey only confirmed the fact that Filipinos have low trust ratings in China due to its increased coercive activities in the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea. When the survey was taken, there were reports of shadowing, blocking, and dangerous maneuvers by the Chinese Coast Guard vessels on Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea. Every time the Philippines made a troop rotation and resupply (RORE) run to BRP Sierra Madre, its vessels were harassed by Chinese militia and coast guard ships. These harassments may lead to miscalculations and accidents that could be disastrous for both sides. On the other hand, the high trust ratings for the US and Canada in the same third- quarter Oculum survey also confirmed what has long been long held as a fact that Western countries are considered friendly because of the help they provide to strengthen the country’s maritime domain awareness and our country’s military capabilities and capacities
Even during the six-year term of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was considered the most popular leader in power, he failed to influence Filipinos to raise trust ratings in China. Duterte did not hide the fact that he was an avid fan of China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and he had tried to bring the country closer to Beijing and Moscow and, at the same time, distance from its traditional security ally, the United States.
In a way, China’s continued bullying in the West Philippine Sea and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine contributed a lot to the lower trust ratings of the two countries. There were also increased pro-Beijing comments from a handful of its apologists that were observed on social media also during the third quarter, but the propaganda and disinformation had little effect on influencing the Filipinos’ trust ratings in China, which remained the lowest among countries surveyed. The Filipinos’ shared values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and human rights remain very strong in placing a higher trust in the US and Canada.