A recent SWS survey commissioned by Stratbase Institute shows that 45 percent of Filipinos consider modernizing the Armed Forces and Coast Guard as their top choice for defending maritime rights, ahead of strengthening alliances or forging new defense agreements. The survey, conducted in June 2024, highlights regional variations and public support for both domestic capability-building and international partnerships.
A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey has revealed that a plurality of Filipino adults prioritize the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as the top measure to defend the country's maritime rights.
Commissioned by the Stratbase Institute and conducted from June 20 to 29, the survey found that 45 percent of respondents selected AFP and PCG modernization as their first choice among the options presented. This preference surpasses the 33 percent who favored reinforcing alliances through maritime cooperative activities and military exercises with allies, friends, and partners, and the 22 percent who chose establishing defense and security agreements with like-minded countries.
The results underscore the public's emphasis on building domestic capabilities as a cornerstone of maritime defense strategy. The survey was conducted in the context of recent statements by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who advocated for increasing defense spending to as much as 4 percent of the country's gross domestic product to strengthen the Philippines' defense capabilities and better protect its maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.
The regional breakdown of responses shows that support for AFP and PCG modernization as a first choice was highest in Luzon at 47 percent, followed by the National Capital Region at 46 percent, the Visayas at 44 percent, and Mindanao at 39 percent. When asked to identify their second choice, respondents most frequently selected reinforcing alliances, with 39 percent choosing this option nationwide.
This was followed by establishing defense and security agreements at 31 percent, and AFP and PCG modernization at 30 percent. In terms of second choice, support for alliances was highest in the National Capital Region and the Visayas at 41 percent each, while Mindanao recorded the highest share of respondents who ranked AFP and PCG modernization as their second choice at 34 percent.
Victor Andres Dindo Manhit, president of the Stratbase Institute, interpreted the results as indicating that Filipinos view stronger defense capabilities and closer cooperation with allies as complementary measures in protecting the country's maritime rights. The Filipino people understand that defending our maritime rights requires more than legal victories, Manhit said in a statement. It requires credible capabilities, resilient institutions, and sustained investment in the Armed Forces and the Philippine Coast Guard.
He added that the survey reflects a mature public perspective that acknowledges the need for both self-reliance and international partnerships. The survey interviewed 1,200 adults nationwide through face-to-face interviews and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points for national estimates, and plus or minus 6 percentage points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, at the 95 percent confidence level.
The data provides a clear mandate for policymakers to prioritize modernization efforts while continuing to cultivate strategic alliances, ensuring a comprehensive approach to safeguarding the nation's maritime interests in an increasingly contested region
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