MANILA—Filipinos are looking for strong, honest and intelligent leaders, a recent Boses, Opinyon, Siyasat at Siyensya para sa Pilipinas (BOSES Pilipinas) survey showed.

The results of its Voter Insights on the 2022 National Elections (VINE) survey showed 69 percent of respondents preferred candidates who provide strong leadership, while 55 percent said honesty was important in a candidate. Being intelligent was found to be the 3rd most desirable trait, with 42 percent of respondents saying this was something they looked for in candidates.

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Other traits voters looked for were: efficiency (gets things done, 37 percent), being morally upright (33 percent) and being compassionate (19 percent).

"With all the noise in media and social media platforms — as well as the highly-curated portrayal of the candidates in their campaigns, it is really important to ask the Filipino voters the qualities they are looking for in the candidates. Thus, we ask in the survey what are the character traits they would like to see in a candidate, rather than ask them first why they prefer this one candidate over the others," BOSES Pilipinas Convenor Dr. Imelda Deinla said.

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The VINE survey also asked respondents to identify top 5 issues they believe the current administration should immediately address, and 60 percent of respondents said fighting graft and corruption should be the government's top priority.

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Fifty percent of respondents also said government should address the economic effects of lockdowns and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 48 percent said controlling the spread of COVID should be the top priority.

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Other economic concerns — such as social services to reduce poverty, increasing the salary or workers, as well as the elimination of illegal drugs — were also deemed important by the respondents.

For Deinla, although the survey asked about the issues the current administration should address, these were also relevant to the next government.

“These are continuing issues, and they are issues needing urgent attention, for otherwise they can deteriorate and affect the health and well-being of the Filipinos and the economic prospects of the country as a whole,” she said.

BOSES Pilipinas, a university-based opinion research and survey unit in the Philippines, aspires to bridge societal divides through studies and polls that increase understanding of the Filipinos' opinions, perceptions and beliefs.

The VINE survey was conducted from November 29 to December 14, 2021, in cooperation with Singapore-based Rakuten Insight, and using the firm's online panel.

The research firm asked 1,500 respondents from throughout the country and from across different age groups and income classes.

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