In this June 26, 2022, photo, a Philippine flag is erected at Sandy Cay, a sandbar just 4 nautical miles from the disputed Pag-asa island in the West Philippine Sea where several Chinese naval ships have been spotted. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — The majority of Filipinos want the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to partner with the United States (US) and Japan to defend the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, a Pulse Asia survey showed.
Pulse Asia President Prof. Ronald Holmes revealed in a forum Thursday that of the 1,200 adult Filipinos surveyed nationwide, 84 percent chose the US while 52 percent picked Japan to help the Philippines secure its jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.
READ: US vows to strengthen alliance with PH in defending West PH Sea
Others garnered the following scores in the survey:
- Australia – 25 percent
- UK – 24 percent
- South Korea – 23 percent
- China – 20 percent
- EU – 20 percent
- Russia – 17 percent
- France – 12 percent
- India – 2 percent
The survey, conducted from November 27 to December 1, 2022, asked respondents this question: “Among the following, which entities should the Marcos administration work with to strengthen security cooperation to defend our national sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea?”
The choices, from which respondents may select up to three, were: Australia, China, European Union (EU), France, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom (UK), and the US.
The survey has an error margin of ±2.8.
Pulse Asia
Meanwhile, 4 percent of the respondents admitted that they did not have enough knowledge to give an opinion on the matter, as 0.2 percent answered “none” or did not pick any from the given choices.
Additionally, Holmes said, half of the respondents think the Marcos administration should strengthen the country’s military capabilities, especially the Navy and Coast Guard to “effectively address issues in the West Philippine Sea” while 29 percent believe joint maritime patrols and military exercises with allied countries should be conducted.
Pulse Asia
READ: PH eyes possible joint maritime patrols with US in West Philippine Sea
Also, he noted more than half of the people surveyed consider the protection of marine resources and the environment as the most important reason to strengthen the country’s ability to defend its seas.