Filipinos split on Marcos admin’s handling of China dispute — survey

In this handout photo from the Philippines' Presidential Communications Office taken and released on July 21, 2026, shows Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (2nd R) holding talks with Chinese ambassador to Manila Jing Quan (2nd L) in Manila, after the diplomat was summoned to Malacanang presidential palace over a clash between the Chinese Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy on disputed South China Sea waters on July 20, which left two Filipino troops injured.

Presidential Communications Office

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos are split on the Marcos administration’s handling of the West Philippine Sea dispute with China, but nearly three in four want the government to prioritize diplomacy, a Momentum Research survey showed.

The August 2026 survey found that 45.2% of respondents thought the administration was handling the dispute effectively, while 45% said it was not. The rest were undecided or declined to answer.

On dealing with China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea, 73.3% favored diplomacy. Some 19.1% disagreed, while 7.5% were unsure or declined to answer.

Metro Manila had the highest support for diplomacy at 86.9%, followed by Generation Z at 79% and opposition-aligned respondents at 76.6%.

In Mindanao, more respondents said the administration was handling the dispute poorly than well, at 46.4% and 35.8%, respectively. Another 17.7% were unsure or declined to answer.

Among Marcos supporters, 65.5% said the administration was handling the dispute effectively. A majority of Duterte-aligned respondents (52.3%) and opposition-aligned adults (56.7%) disagreed. Among independents, 48.4% said the administration was doing well, while 44.5% said otherwise.

Majority say Philippines relies too much on other countries

More than half of respondents (56.8%) said the Philippines relies too much on other countries for protection against China. About a third (33.7%) disagreed.

The view was most common among opposition-aligned respondents at 71.2%, followed by those in Metro Manila at 64.3% and Gen Z at 63.4%.

Half say West Philippine Sea info is sufficient

Half of respondents said they had enough information about developments in the West Philippine Sea. Meanwhile, 39.2% said the information available was insufficient, while 10.7% were unsure or declined to answer.

Millennials were more divided, with 49.6% saying they had enough information and 43.9% saying they did not.

Among Baby Boomers, 42.8% said the information was sufficient, while 25.3% were unsure. Respondents in Mindanao and those who identified as independents also had mixed views.

The Philippines and China have long disputed parts of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. Beijing has rejected the 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine Coast Guard has repeatedly reported Chinese vessels entering Philippine waters. Filipino vessels have also faced water cannon attacks, ramming and blocking by Chinese vessels.

The Department of Foreign Affairs recently summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over his remarks that Beijing could “easily win” a confrontation with the Philippines and comments directed at Filipino officials who criticized him.

Some lawmakers have called for the envoy to be declared persona non grata. Malacañang has said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has no intention of expelling him.

The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,487 Filipino adults nationwide from August 18 to 23. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.