The Filipinos’ most urgent concerns

When President Marcos called Congress to a special session last June 17 through Proclamation No. 1318, the administration listed the following bills that lawmakers should urgently act on:

1. Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act

2. Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act

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3. Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged and Conflict-Affected Areas (GIDA) Schools Act

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4. Presidential Merit Scholarship Program

5. Anti-Political Dynasty law

6. Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Act

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7. Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act

However, it is important to ask whether these bills directly address the most urgent concerns of Filipinos.

Based on Pulse Asia’s March 2026 survey, the most urgent concerns of Filipinos have not changed much from last year. Controlling inflation, or the continued increase in the prices of goods and services, remains the country’s top concern. It was cited by 59 percent of respondents.

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This is followed by: Fighting graft and corruption in government (47 percent), reducing poverty (21 percent), and creating more jobs (21 percent).

The results show that many Filipinos are mainly worried about the rising cost of daily needs, corruption, jobs, and the quality of wages. From this point of view, the priorities under Proclamation No. 1318 only partly match what the public considers most urgent.

The strongest connection is poverty reduction. Measures such as the amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act and the GIDA Schools Act aim to improve access to proper nutrition and education, especially for poor and disadvantaged communities.

However, inflation, which is the country’s most pressing concern, is not directly addressed. None of the bills directly tackles the main causes of high prices, such as expensive electricity, rising food prices, problems in transport and logistics, or weaknesses in the supply chain. Job creation and quality of wages also receive limited attention.

On governance, the Anti-Political Dynasty bill appears to be the measure most closely related to public accountability and corruption. However, House Bill No. 8389, which passed third reading in the House of Representatives, has been criticized as being too mild.

The bill will only prohibit relatives within the second degree by blood or marriage from holding office at the same time in the same political unit. This means political families can still maintain their influence by holding different positions in other areas or at different levels of government.

Recommendations: We believe the following proposed measures, which were already included in the administration’s broader Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) agenda, would have a stronger impact on the most urgent concerns of Filipinos:

1. Amendments to the bank deposit secrecy law would allow authorized government agencies, with proper legal safeguards, to access bank records in investigations involving tax evasion, corruption, money laundering, and other illegal activities. This would greatly improve transparency, strengthen accountability, and help create a more credible and investor-friendly business environment.

2. Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act could help address one of the country’s biggest contributors to inflation: high electricity costs, which are a major burden for households and businesses.

3. Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act seek to strengthen the existing program by using a needs-based graduation system. This would allow beneficiaries to remain in the program beyond the current seven-year limit if they are still poor and still need support. The proposed amendments would also increase health, nutrition, and rice subsidies to help families cope with inflation.

4. Amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act also have the potential to create meaningful economic benefits. By making assistance easier to access and supporting modernization, the measure could improve productivity and increase the income of millions of coconut farmers. This could also help reduce poverty in rural areas.

5. The Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act addresses one of the country’s long-term development challenges: the quality of education and the learning environment. By speeding up classroom construction and reducing overcrowding in public schools, the measure could help improve education.

In summary, a special session of Congress is meant to focus on matters that are very urgent. If legislative priorities are measured against the top concerns of Filipinos, the five Ledac measures discussed above would have a more direct and meaningful impact.

The challenge for policymakers is not choosing between social welfare and economic reform. The country needs both. However, if inflation, corruption, quality of wages, jobs, and poverty are the most important and urgent concerns of Filipinos, then priority legislation should focus on reforms that clearly and effectively address these concerns.

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Gary B. Teves is a Filipino politician and public servant who served as secretary of the Department of Finance.