97% of Filipinos say corruption is widespread — Pulse Asia

Nearly all Filipinos, an overwhelming 97 percent, believe that corruption is widespread in the government, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey released amid ongoing investigations into questionable flood control projects under the Marcos administration.

The Nationwide Survey on Corruption, conducted from 27 to 30 September 2025, revealed near-unanimous public concern about systemic corruption, cutting across all income classes and regions.

The survey comes as the government faces mounting scrutiny over alleged anomalies in infrastructure spending.

Only 2 percent of respondents were undecided on whether corruption is widespread, while 1 percent believed otherwise.

The perception of widespread corruption remains consistently high across all regions and income classes, with 100 percent of respondents in the Visayas saying corruption is widespread, followed by 98 percent in Mindanao, 96 percent in the rest of Luzon, and 95 percent in Metro Manila.

By income level, 98 percent of Filipinos in both Class ABC and Class E reported widespread corruption, with 97 percent in Class D echoing the same sentiment.

In addition, most Filipinos believe corruption has worsened in the past year: 85 percent said it increased, 12 percent believed it remained the same, and only 3 percent thought it had decreased.

The survey was conducted during a period when the Marcos administration launched a high-profile crackdown on corruption in public works, including the establishment of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate irregularities in flood control projects.

When asked who they trust most to address government corruption in flood control projects, respondents placed the media at the top, with 51 percent saying they trust journalists, followed closely by 50 percent who trust civil society organizations, 39 percent the Office of the Ombudsman, 37 percent the Senate, 32 percent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and 25 percent the House of Representatives.

The newly formed ICI garnered just 23 percent trust, while the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)—which is directly involved in the projects—was trusted by only 7 percent.

Pulse Asia used face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adults aged 18 and above.

The survey has a ±2.8 percent error margin at a 95 percent confidence level, with subnational estimates carrying a ±5.7 percent margin of error.