By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
MAJORITY OF Filipinos still trust the United States the most, according to a Pulse Asia Research, Inc. survey that also showed China and Russia earning low trust ratings.
The polling firm’s Trustworthiness of Selected Countries and Regional Organizations, conducted from Dec. 14 to 21, 2018, showed that 84% of Filipinos believed that “a great deal/fair amount of trust” should be given to the US.
The survey also indicated that majority of Filipinos trust Japan (75%), Australia (72%), and United Kingdom (57%).
Russia and China earned lower trust ratings with 45% and 39%, respectively.
The survey asked 1,800 Filipino adults on the level of trust that the Philippines should extend to a certain country or organization. The options included “a great deal of trust,” “a fair amount of trust,” “not too much trust,” and “no trust at all.”
China gained the highest distrust rating with more than half of Filipinos or 60% saying the Philippines should give “not too much trust” or “no trust at all” to the country.
This is followed by Russia at 54%, United Kingdom at 40%, Australia at 27%, Japan at 25%, and the US at 16%.
As for regional organizations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) enjoyed high trust ratings among Filipinos, earning scores of 82% and 80%, respectively.
By region, the survey showed that the US earned the highest trust rating in Visayas at 94%, followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) at 89%, Balance Luzon at 83%, and Mindanao at 74%.
Meanwhile, the NCR had the highest trust rating towards China at 50%, followed by Mindanao at 49%, Visayas at 40%, and Balance Luzon at 30%.
Around the time the survey was conducted, the three Balangiga Bells, which were taken by American soldiers in 1901 as war trophies, were finally returned to their original town. It was also three weeks after the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Manila when the survey was conducted.
Sought for comment, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo noted that Filipinos are still familiar with the US as the country’s strongest ally.
He added that it may also take some time to acknowledge China’s sincerity.
“It’s understandable for Filipinos to feel that way. We have been used to the States being our ally, so we are used to America. But maybe as we go along, when we see the sincerity of China with respect to agreements between the two countries, maybe their views will change,” he said in a press briefing at the Palace.
The Pulse Asia survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,800 adults nationwide with error margins of ±2.3% at the 95% confidence level for national percentages.

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