The United States and Japan topped the Filipinos’ choice for economic partners with a majority saying that they are the Philippines’ most important partner for economic security amid global risks, according to a September 17 to 23 surveys by Pulse Asia released on Thursday.
The survey was commissioned by the Stratbase Group and involved 2,400 adult respondents nationwide, carrying a margin of error of ±2 percent.
The results showed that from a list of countries or organizations where respondents were asked to choose three that they consider as the most important economic partners of the Philippines, Filipinos chose the US at 73 percent, rising from 71 percent in July, Japan at 62 percent, up from 52 percent, and Canada at 35 percent, up from 28 percent.
The other choices are Australia at 30 percent, down from 35 percent, South Korea at 21 percent, down from 22 percent, the United Kingdom at 20 percent, down from 26 percent, the European Union at 14 percent, up from 13 percent, China at 14 percent, down from 17 percent, Taiwan at 11 percent, up from 8 percent, and India at 2 percent, which remained unchanged.
A majority of respondents across geographical locations and socio-economic classes also believe that the US and Japan are the most important partners of the Philippines for economic security.
The results showed that 81 percent of respondents from the National Capital Region (NCR) chose the US, followed by the Visayas at 73 percent, Luzon at 72 percent, and Mindanao at 69 percent, along with Class E at 85 percent, followed by Class D at 73 percent, and Class E at 59 percent.
A majority of those from NCR also said Japan is an important economic partner at 71 percent, followed by Luzon at 65 percent, Mindanao at 57 percent, and the Visayas at 53 percent, along with 67 percent from Class ABC, followed by Class D at 62 percent, and Class E at 57 percent.
For NCR, the other countries in the top five after the US and Japan are Canada at 31 percent, Australia at 27 percent, and the UK at 25 percent, while for Luzon it is Canada and Australia at 32 percent each, followed by South Korea at 25 percent.
For the Visayas, the rest of the top five are Canada at 38 percent, Australia at 37 percent, and the UK at 29 percent, while in Mindanao the rest of the top five are Canada at 43 percent, the UK at 26 percent, and Australia at 24 percent.
Among socio-economic classes, the rest of the top five after the US and Japan are Canada at 36 percent, Australia at 34 percent, and South Korea at 27 percent for Class ABC, and Canada at 36 percent, Australia at 28 percent, and South Korea and the UK at 20 percent for Class D.
For Class E, the other countries are Australia at 48 percent, Canada at 34 percent, and the UK at 28 percent.
Stratbase Group President and CEO Professor Victor Andres Manhit said the rising preference for the US and Japan reflected growing public recognition of their role in strengthening the Philippines’ economic and strategic position.
The Stratbase-commissioned Pulse Asia survey comes as the Marcos administration advances the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), a trilateral initiative with the United States and Japan aimed at driving investments in infrastructure, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, logistics, and digital connectivity.