The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA – RSSO 8) is conducting the January 2026 Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) in collaboration with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on 22 January to 05 February 2026.
The CES is a complementary survey to the Business Expectations Survey (BES) of BSP. It is a household-based survey conducted on a quarterly basis. PSA is responsible for undertaking the data collection while generation of tables and analysis of the results is done by BSP. The core questions of the survey cover three broad areas of consumer sentiment: family finances, buying conditions, and economic condition of the country.
Specifically, the CES is used to:
1. Obtain advance information on the short-term outlook of households (on the macroeconomy and their financial situation), including income and savings;
2. Provide a basis for analyzing particular issues on consumer behavior across income groups, especially those who are receiving remittances from Overseas Filipinos;
3. Serve as an indicator of inflation, as indicated by the households’ intention to purchase basic goods and services as well as big-ticket items;
4. Serve as an indicators of exchange rate and interest rate movements; and
5. Serve as input for statistical, research, and policy development purposes of the BSP and other government/research institutions.
The CES utilizes the 2023 Geo-enabled Master Sample (GeoMS) as its sampling frame to generate precise estimates at subnational levels. A total of 192 sample households in Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Tacloban City will be visited by hired Statistical Researchers for this purpose.
The authority to conduct the January 2026 CES has been cleared by the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS), a mechanism under RA 10625 that ensures sound design, promotes economy, eliminates duplication in data collection, and minimizes respondent burden.
In line with this, PSA–RSSO 8 enjoins the public to support the survey by providing accurate information to authorized Statistical Researchers who will be interviewing sample households. PSA reassures the public that all personnel involved in the survey are bound by the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173) to keep all information obtained during the survey in strict confidence. Individual data provided to PSA for statistical inquiries, surveys, and censuses are considered privileged communication and cannot be used as evidence in any court of law, tribunal, or administrative body. (PR)
