MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro has issued a critical response to the recently released March 2026 Pulse Asia survey, which showed an improvement in the approval ratings of the country’s top leaders. Castro, a vocal member of the Makabayan bloc, cautioned the public against taking survey numbers at face value, arguing that snapshots of political popularity often fail to capture the “simmering discontent” felt by the Filipino working class.
While the survey indicated a recovery for the administration, Castro pointed out that these figures do not reflect the reality of families struggling with “gut issues” like the high cost of rice, the “diesel double whammy,” and stagnant wages.
“Surveys are just a snapshot of a moment, but they are not the whole truth of the Filipino condition,” Rep. Castro stated in a press release. “What we see in the communities is not ‘approval,’ but a struggle for survival. High ratings cannot fill an empty stomach, and they certainly do not mean that the people are satisfied with the government’s response to inflation and the transport crisis.”
Castro highlighted several areas where she believes the survey data is disconnected from the grassroots reality:
- The “Fear Factor”: Castro raised concerns about the “chilling effect” of current political climates on survey respondents, suggesting that some may hesitate to express dissatisfaction due to fears of Red-tagging or harassment.
- Inflation Reality vs. Perception: While the survey suggests a “stabilization” of sentiment, Castro argued that the actual purchasing power of the minimum wage has continued to decline, hitting teachers and health workers particularly hard.
- Prioritization of Issues: The lawmaker noted that while leaders may be “popular,” the survey also consistently shows that “controlling inflation” remains the top urgent concern—an area where she believes the administration has yet to provide a concrete, pro-people solution.
The congresswoman urged her fellow lawmakers and the executive branch to focus on “substantive policy” rather than “popularity contests.” She reiterated the Makabayan bloc’s call for the suspension of the excise tax on fuel, the implementation of a national minimum wage, and the repeal of the Rice Tariffication Law to provide genuine relief to the public.
“The real ‘survey’ is conducted every day in the markets and at the jeepney terminals,” Castro added. “As long as our workers are underpaid and our farmers are neglected, no amount of high ratings can hide the cracks in our economic system.”
As the 2028 political cycle begins to loom in the distance, Castro’s critique serves as a reminder of the ideological divide in the House of Representatives, where the opposition continues to push for a shift from “image-based politics” to “issue-based governance.”