Majority of Filipino adults have “enough” or “little” knowledge about climate change, but there was an increase in the percentage of those with sufficient knowledge between June 2022 and September 2023, Pulse Asia said in its survey results released on Monday, Oct. 9.

Pulse Asia’s survey from Sept. 10-14 revealed that 44 percent of Filipinos have sufficient knowledge about climate change, while 40 percent have limited knowledge.

“The same pattern of public opinion may be observed in Metro Manila (48 percent versus 41 percent), the rest of Luzon (44 percent versus 45 percent), Mindanao (34 percent versus 40 percent), and all socio-economic groupings (43 percent to 45 percent versus 34 percent to 41 percent). The only exception is the Visayas, where a small majority of adult residents (56 percent) claim to have sufficient knowledge,” it pointed out.

Meanwhile, 11 percent said they have “wide” knowledge about climate change and 5 percent have “almost/completely no knowledge” about it.

Pulse Asia also observed that from June 2022 to September 2023, the percentage of Filipinos with enough knowledge about climate change increased (+10 percentage points), while those with little knowledge decreased (-6 percentage points).

It also noted that sufficient levels of knowledge increased not only in the Philippines (+9) but also in the rest of Luzon (+13 percentage points), the Visayas (+17 percentage points), and Class D (+9 percentage points).

Meanwhile, the percentage of those with little knowledge in Visayas has decreased (-14 percentage points).

65% experienced significant climate change in past 3 years

Pulse Asia said a “sizeable majority” of Filipino adults (65 percent) have experienced a “big” change in the climate in their area over the previous three years.

This view was shared by “small to huge majorities” in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes (55 percent to 81 percent and 58 percent to 67 percent, respectively).

“These figures are about the same as those recorded in June 2022 both at the national level (63 percent) and in the same sub-groupings (55 percent to 66 percent and 58 percent to 83 percent, respectively),” Pulse Asia said.

“The only significant change is the increase in the percentage of Visayans who observe a big change in the climate in their place during the last three years (+16 percentage points),” it added.

Meanwhile, 11 percent observed a “small” change in the climate in their place during the previous three years.

The rest of the adult population (24 percent) is divided on the issue, with the level of uncertainty rising in the rest of Luzon (+14 percentage points) but falling in Mindanao (-12 percentage points).

Moreover, for 69 percent of Filipinos, climate change is dangerous for the Philippines—a view echoed by small to big majorities across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings (54 percent to 88 percent and 59 percent to 75 percent, respectively).

However, 10 percent believe that climate change is not a threat to the country.

The remaining adult population (21 percent) is unsure whether climate change is dangerous or not for the Philippines.

Pulse Asia’s “Ulat ng Bayan” survey has 1,200 adult respondents nationwide.

It has a ± 2.8 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.

Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following error margins at 95 percent confidence level: ± 5.7 percent for Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.