An Octa Research survey commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines reveals strong nationwide support among Filipinos for defending the country’s territory and sovereign rights, including the West Philippine Sea, but also highlights significant regional variations in public opinion.

Nationally, 76 percent of respondents expressed willingness to support government efforts to defend Philippine territory, while only around 7 percent disagreed, indicating a broad overall consensus.However, the data shows differences across regions.

The highest support levels were recorded in Mimaropa at 93 percent, followed by Caraga at 91 percent, Western Visayas at 90 percent, the National Capital Region at 83 percent, and Central Luzon at 81 percent.

Meanwhile, lower agreement levels were observed in Central Visayas at 45 percent, the Ilocos Region at 61 percent, the Davao Region at 61 percent, and Eastern Visayas at 63 percent.In Mindanao overall, support stood at 75 percent, while the Visayas recorded 68 percent.

The survey highlighted that the Davao Region had one of the highest disagreement rates nationally at 34 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 7 percent.This suggests a more divided public sentiment in the area compared to other regions.

Octa Research noted that such differences may indicate the need for more locally tailored communication strategies regarding territorial defence and national security issues.

The report also situates the findings in the broader geopolitical context of the West Philippine Sea dispute, where tensions with China continue despite the 2016 arbitral ruling in favour of the Philippines, which Beijing has refused to recognise.

The survey was conducted from March 19 to 25 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above, with a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level.