Only 30% of adult Filipinos disagreed with the statement that a person like them cannot do anything to reduce corruption in government, according to the Social Weather Survey (SWS) conducted in June 2026.
The survey, conducted from June 20 to 29, showed that 52% agreed with the statement, while 17% were undecided.
This resulted in a net disagreement score of -22, which SWS classified as “moderately weak.” The figure was nearly unchanged from the -23 recorded in March, indicating “no meaningful shift in personal efficacy against corruption during 2026 itself.”
SWS described 2026 as the worst year for personal efficacy against corruption in the series, noting that the latest net disagreement score was twice as negative as any previous national reading.
Visayas records highest net disagreement
Among major areas, the Visayas recorded the highest net disagreement at -10, followed by Mindanao at -21, Balance Luzon at -23, and Metro Manila at -37.
Mindanao posted the biggest improvement from March, rising 10 points from -31 to -21. Balance Luzon also improved slightly, from -26 to -23.
In contrast, the Visayas declined from a neutral score of zero to -10, while Metro Manila fell from -31 to -37.
Personal efficacy also varied by educational attainment. The highest net disagreement was recorded among those with no formal education or some elementary education at -2, followed by college graduates at -14, elementary graduates at -20, and junior high school graduates at -29.
Half dissatisfied with government's anti-corruption efforts
The survey also looked at how personal efficacy relates to Filipinos’ assessment of the National Administration’s performance in fighting graft and corruption.
In June, 50% of adults were dissatisfied with the government’s performance, while 36% were satisfied and 13% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
Those dissatisfied with the government’s anti-corruption performance recorded a net disagreement score of -13, compared with -14 among those who were undecided and -37 among those who were satisfied.
SWS said this pattern suggests that those dissatisfied with the government’s anti-corruption efforts were somewhat more likely to feel that they could still make a difference.
