Filipinos continue to prioritize the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as the government's top measure to protect the country's maritime rights, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by the Stratbase Group.

The Second Quarter 2026 national survey, conducted from 20 to 29 June, found that forty-five percent of respondents identified AFP and PCG modernization as their first-choice priority for defending the country's rights at sea.

The survey was conducted after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. proposed increasing defense spending to as much as four percent of the country's gross domestic product to strengthen the Philippines' ability to counter Chinese aggression and protect its interests in the West Philippine Sea.

Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres "Dindo" Manhit said the results show that Filipinos recognize the need to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.

"The Filipino people understand that defending our maritime rights requires more than legal victories. It requires credible capabilities, resilient institutions, and sustained investment in the Armed Forces and the Philippine Coast Guard. The survey shows that Filipinos recognize that our security begins with our ability to protect our sovereign rights and deter coercion in the West Philippine Sea," Manhit said.

Regional results showed that modernization was the top choice of forty-seven percent of respondents in Luzon, followed by forty-six percent in the National Capital Region, forty-four percent in the Visayas, and thirty-nine percent in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, thirty-three percent of respondents said the government's top priority should be reinforcing alliances and expanding maritime cooperative activities and military exercises with allies and partners, while twenty-two percent favored forging additional defense and security agreements with like-minded countries.

The findings are consistent with an earlier Stratbase-commissioned Pulse Asia survey conducted in May, which found that eighty-six percent of Filipinos support closer cooperation with countries such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Canada in defending the West Philippine Sea.

During Stratbase's conference marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award, representatives from more than 30 foreign missions expressed support for the Philippines' maritime rights. Ambassadors from Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom also expressed interest in deepening defense cooperation with the Philippines.

When asked for their second preferred measure, thirty-nine percent of respondents chose reinforcing alliances, making it the leading secondary priority nationwide.

Support for stronger alliances as a second choice reached forty-one percent in both the National Capital Region and the Visayas, followed by thirty-nine percent in Luzon and thirty-seven percent in Mindanao.

Thirty-one percent selected establishing defense and security agreements as their second choice, while thirty percent chose continued modernization of the AFP and PCG.

Support for military modernization as a second priority was highest in Mindanao at thirty-four percent, followed by the Visayas at thirty percent, Luzon at twenty-eight percent, and the National Capital Region at twenty-six percent.

Manhit said the results indicate that Filipinos view military modernization and stronger international partnerships as complementary strategies.

"Filipinos also recognize that credible defense is built on two pillars: a capable military and strong partnerships with like-minded countries. These are not competing approaches but complementary ones. As the security environment becomes more complex, the Philippines must continue investing in its own defense while deepening cooperation with allies who share our commitment to peace, stability, and international law," he said.

The survey interviewed 1,200 adult Filipinos nationwide through face-to-face interviews from 20 to 29 June 2026. It has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points for national estimates and plus or minus six percentage points for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao at the ninety-five percent confidence level.