Market Research Companies in Philippines

Key figures for researchers

Population

112.7 million (2024 census)¹

Urban population

54.0% (2020)²

Households

26.4 million, 4.1 people on average (2020)³

Age structure

median 25.3 years; 30.7% under 15, 8.5% aged 60+ (2020)⁴

Official languages

Filipino and English¹²

Language spoken at home

Tagalog 39.9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 16.0%, Hiligaynon 7.3%, Ilocano 7.1%, Cebuano 6.5% of households (2020)⁵

Literacy

basic 90.0% (aged 5+), functional 70.8% (aged 10–64) (2024)⁶

Internet users

67% of individuals (2024)⁷

Mobile subscriptions

115 per 100 people (2024)⁹

GDP per capita

about US$4,200 (2025)¹⁰

Research guide

Research landscape

Most market research agencies are based in Metro Manila, the country’s economic and political centre. Local independent agencies work alongside offices of international research networks, and many also run fieldwork through partners or regional teams in other islands.

Languages and fieldwork

Filipino and English are the official languages. At home, Tagalog is spoken in 39.9% of households, Bisaya/Binisaya in 16.0%, Hiligaynon in 7.3%, Ilocano in 7.1% and Cebuano in 6.5%. General public questionnaires are usually prepared in Filipino for Luzon and translated into Cebuano (Bisaya) or other local languages for the Visayas and Mindanao. English is widely used in business, which makes it a usual language for B2B and executive interviews.

A nationally representative sample must cover the three island groups — Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao — and rural areas, since 46% of the population lives outside urban areas. Population is concentrated around the capital: in 2020, the National Capital Region (13.5 million), CALABARZON (16.2 million) and Central Luzon (12.4 million) together accounted for about 39% of Filipinos. Basic literacy is high (90.0%), but functional literacy is lower (70.8% of people aged 10–64): keep self-completion questionnaires short and simple.

Which methods work

Connectivity is good: 67% of individuals use the internet (78.2% of people aged 15–64 according to the PSA) and there are more mobile subscriptions than inhabitants. Online surveys and telephone interviews (CATI) work well for urban, younger and educated targets, and for B2B.

For the general population, including older people, lower-income households and rural areas, face-to-face interviews (CAPI) with quotas by region, area type, age and gender remain the reference. Online panels exist but tend to over-represent urban and connected respondents: ask the agency how the panel is recruited and weighted. Focus groups are usually held in Metro Manila, and in Cebu or Davao when regional views are needed.

Timing

The country faces about 20 tropical cyclones a year, of which 8 to 9 cross the archipelago; the typhoon season peaks from July to October. Storms and floods can suspend face-to-face fieldwork locally for several days: build some slack into the schedule, especially for rural and island samples.

Holy Week (March or April; in 2027, Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday fall on 25–27 March) is a national holiday period, and many people travel to their home provinces. The Christmas season is long: with holidays on 24, 25, 30 and 31 December and 1 January, fieldwork and B2B interviews are difficult from mid-December to early January. Exact holiday dates are set each year by proclamation; Eid holidays are announced separately.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10173) and supervised by the National Privacy Commission (NPC). Consent must be voluntary, specific and informed. “Sensitive personal information” is defined broadly — it includes age, marital status, health, education, religious and political affiliations — and its processing is prohibited unless an exception applies, such as consent. Registration with the NPC is mandatory for organisations with 250 or more employees, those processing sensitive personal information of 1,000 or more people, and any system involving profiling. Data breaches must be notified within 72 hours.

The organisation that controls the data remains responsible for it when it is passed to a subcontractor or transferred abroad. Ask your agency how respondents’ consent is recorded, whether it is registered with the NPC and how the data will be transferred to you.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, island groups and regions, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask who does the fieldwork outside Metro Manila: own interviewers, regional teams or subcontractors, and in which regions.
• Check translations: Filipino, Cebuano and other local languages as needed, with back-translation for key questions.
• Ask about quality control: back-checks, GPS or audio checks for face-to-face interviews, supervision of CATI calls.
• Ask how consent is collected and how data is protected under the Data Privacy Act.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.