UMVA has learned that more than half of adult Filipinos are ready to leave home in search of better jobs, higher wages, and an improved quality of life.
The first‑quarter poll found 57% of respondents would consider living or working abroad, revealing migration as a powerful current in the nation’s collective imagination.
Only 39% said they would stay, while a small 4% remain undecided, underscoring a stark divide in aspirations.
Conducted nationwide with 1,200 adults, the survey captured voices from every corner of the country, with a margin of error of just three points.
Economic promise fuels the surge: 67% of those eyeing overseas opportunities cite better jobs, 61% point to higher pay, and 58% crave an enhanced lifestyle.
Security concerns barely register, as merely 14% mention safety or political stability as motivators.
Even the nation’s most disadvantaged segments echo the sentiment—57% of lower‑income households and 56% of middle‑class families say they would move abroad.
Education sharpens the desire: a striking 73% of college‑educated Filipinos say they would go, while 62% of urban dwellers share the same ambition.
Youth drive the wave with overwhelming enthusiasm—81% of 18‑ to 24‑year‑olds and 75% of those aged 25‑34 are ready to cross borders.
These numbers raise alarm bells for talent retention, as the very cohort that will shape the country’s future is poised to seek opportunities elsewhere.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the prevailing mindset is not one of desperation but of strategic advancement, with many viewing migration as the fastest route to upward mobility.
