Filipinos still turn to Facebook for their news

National

NINE out of 10 Filipino internet users still turn to Facebook for news, keeping the platform well ahead of other online sources for updates on government and politics, according to Pulse Asia.

The survey, conducted from June 28 to July 6, found that 91 percent of respondents use Facebook as a source of news, slightly lower than the 94 percent recorded in March.

YouTube ranked second, with 61 percent of respondents citing it as a news source, down from 63 percent in the previous survey.

TikTok was cited by 21 percent, compared with 23 percent in March, while 9 percent said they use vlogs as a news source, down from 10 percent.

Only 5 percent of respondents said they directly access news through news websites.

The survey found that 97 percent of Filipino internet users read, watch or listen to news regarding government and politics online.

Social media remains widely used among Filipino internet users, with 99 percent saying they have Facebook accounts.

YouTube account ownership rose to 73 percent from 70 percent, while the share of respondents with TikTok accounts increased by seven percentage points, from 35 percent to 42 percent.

Instagram and X account ownership, meanwhile, showed little change. Instagram users declined from 18 percent to 17 percent, while X users increased from 5 percent to 6 percent.

All respondents with internet access said they use it to check their social media accounts.

The internet is also used for other types of content and activities. Ninety-one percent said they read, watch or listen to things of interest, including movies, recipes and celebrity news.

Other reported uses included online shopping at 55 percent, sending or receiving emails at 37 percent, and formal and non-formal online learning at 16 percent.

The survey covered 2,400 respondents and had a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.(MyTVCebu)