86% of Filipinos favor alliances with like-minded nations to defend WPS
Nearly nine in 10 Filipinos believe that the country should work with like-minded nations – particularly the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, and South Korea – to defend the country’s sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, according to a Pulse Asia survey commissioned by the Stratbase Institute.
In a news release, Stratbase said the poll’s findings were made public ahead of the 128th anniversary of Philippine independence from Spanish colonial rule, and a month before the country marks the 10th anniversary of the arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea.
For Stratbase Institute president and CEO Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit, this year’s anniversary should also serve as an “opportune moment to reflect on the continuing duty to protect our sovereignty.”
“Filipinos clearly recognize that upholding the 2016 arbitral award and strengthening cooperation with like-minded nations are essential components of preserving our independence in the 21st century,” he said. “As we mark a decade of our victory at The Hague, we must do our part in defending our hard-won triumph so that future generations inherit a nation that is free, secure and respected in the international community.”
Working with like-minded nations
The survey asked 1,500 respondents from May 3-7, 2026, whether they agreed or disagreed that the Philippines should defend the WPS with like-minded countries in accordance with the 2016 arbitral award.
Nationwide, 86 percent said they agreed, with Mindanao leading the regions with the highest positive sentiment (91 percent, with 63 percent saying they strongly agreed) followed by the National Capital Region with 90 percent (and 64 percent saying they strongly agreed).
Only 3 percent said they disagreed while 11 percent said they could not say whether they agree or disagree.
For Manhit, Filipinos were “sending a clear message” to the government amid the continued harassment in the WPS: that “the Philippines must remain firm in defending its rights while working closely with allies and partners that uphold international law and support a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.”
“The 2016 arbitral award remains a cornerstone of our lawful claims in the West Philippine Sea. The survey results show that Filipinos want the government to continue pursuing a strategy that combines principled diplomacy, credible defense, and strong partnerships with like-minded nations,” he said.
US, Japan, Australia get high support
In another question, the respondents were asked to pick at least five countries or organizations that the Philippines should work with in defending the West Philippine Sea.
The survey showed that 84 percent of Filipinos nationwide want the government to work with the United States, followed by Japan (67 percent), Australia (57 percent), Canada (51 percent), and South Korea (44 percent).
Broken down regionally, National Capital Region registered the highest desire to work with the United States at 86 percent, followed by Balance Luzon and Mindanao at 85 percent. Support for the United States is also highest among Class E respondents at 86 percent.
Conversely, support for China appears to have been pulled upward by Mindanao where 23 percent of respondents said they wanted the government to work with Beijing to defend the WPS.
The figures for the United States and Japan were two and three percentage points higher, respectively, than their ratings in a similar Stratbase-commissioned survey last Dec. 12-15, 2025 where they got 82 percent and 64 percent, respectively. “These suggest that Filipinos distinguish between countries that support the Philippines’ lawful rights in the WPS and those whose actions have contributed to tensions in the area,” Manhit said.
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