Filipinos are worried about being caught in the crosshairs of the US-China trade war, a new survey has found, underscoring concerns about mounting economic instability amid ongoing maritime tensions with Beijing.
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About seven out of 10 Filipinos, or 72 per cent of nationwide respondents, indicated they were concerned about the trade war and believed the conflict would directly affect livelihoods, independent polling firm WR Numero revealed.
The findings, released on Thursday, were part of the firm’s latest Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, which polled nearly 2,000 respondents from February 10 to 18 in the lead-up to the midterm elections in May.
WR Numero president and CEO Cleve Arguelles told This Week in Asia that issues in the South China Sea had come to the forefront of public discourse alongside “fish-and-rice issues” such as inflation and job security, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr giving the matter prominence in key messages at campaign speeches for Senate candidates on his ticket.
“This shift has effectively pulled the issue into the electoral arena, making foreign policy a more visible concern for voters,” Arguelles said.
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He added that Filipinos were likely to view the brewing trade conflict between the United States and China as a potential disruption to the economy, with rising prices and job instability directly affecting their lives.