An OCTA Research survey has revealed that majority of Filipinos are willing to defend the Philippines in the event of a conflict with a foreign enemy.

Based on the December 2023 survey results, released on Sunday, March 10, 77 percent of adult Filipinos said they are “ready to fight for the country if there is a conflict between the Philippines and a foreign enemy,” while 23 percent disagreed.

The survey question on adult Filipinos’ willingness to fight for the country was commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

OCTA pointed out that Mindanao had the highest percentage of Filipinos (84 percent) willing to fight for the country, while the Visayas had the lowest percentage (62 percent).

Among the socioeconomic classes, adult Filipinos in Class D were more likely to be willing to defend the country against a foreign enemy (80 percent) than those in Classes ABC and E (67 percent and 68 percent, respectively).

Across age groups, OCTA found that Filipinos aged 45 to 54 were the most likely to say they would fight for the country (87 percent), while those aged 65 to 74 were the least likely.

Moreover, more adult Filipinos in urban areas (80 percent) are willing to fight for the country in the event of a conflict with a foreign enemy than in rural areas (73 percent).

OCTA also found that males are more likely than females to be willing to fight for the country (82 percent versus 72 percent).

In terms of educational attainment, adult Filipinos with vocational education were more willing to fight for the country (86 percent), while those with college or postgraduate education had the lowest percentage (72 percent).

The Fourth Quarter Tugon ng Masa Survey was conducted from Dec. 10 to 14, through face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adult respondents nationwide.

It has a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level.

The survey’s subnational estimates have a margin of error of ±6 percent at a 95 percent confidence level for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.