CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Several officials emerged among the top-performing leaders in Cebu and Central Visayas based on the May 26, 2026, “Boses ng Bayan” Trust and Performance Ratings Survey conducted by RPMD Foundation Inc.
Among them are the Ouano siblings from Mandaue City, with Mandaue City Lone District Representative Emmarie ‘Lolypop’ Ouano-Dizon topping both Cebu and Central Visayas as the highest-rated district representative with an 87.8 percent Index of Governance (IOG) score.
Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito ‘Jonkie’ Ouano earned an 85.2 percent IOG score, placing him among the top-performing city mayors in the region.
Several Cebu lawmakers also emerged as top-performing district representatives in Central Visayas based on the latest IOG survey conducted by RPMD.
Leading the regional congressional rankings aside from Ouano-Dizon were Junard ‘Ahong’ Chan (Lapu-Lapu Lone District), Karen Garcia (Third District), and Daphne Lagon (Sixth District), who were statistically tied under RPMD’s “Tier 1” category.
The four lawmakers were recognized as the Top 1 Representatives in Central Visayas and the highest-rated representatives in Cebu Province.
“This achievement is not mine alone; it is shared with every person who continues to inspire and support our mission of genuine public service. Daghang salamat, Mandauehanons,” said Ouano-Dizon in a Facebook post.
After Ouano-Dizon, Chan followed with an 87.3 percent IOG score, supported by an 86.9 percent trust rating and an 87.7 percent performance rating.
Garcia then logged an 86.9 percent IOG score, while Lagon obtained an 86.4 percent IOG score.
RPMD said the high ratings of the lawmakers were largely driven by strong constituent engagement, district visibility, public accessibility, and the sustained delivery of government programs and services.
Meanwhile, Rhea Gullas (First District), Edu Rama (Cebu City North District), and Duke Frasco (Fifth District) were recognized as the region’s Top 2 Representatives.
Gullas’ leadership reflected an 85.2 percent IOG score, followed by Rama with 84.8 percent and Frasco with 83.5 percent.
Also included among the Top 3 Representatives in Central Visayas were Edsel Galeos (Second District), Patsy Calderon (Seventh District), and Sun Shimura (Fourth District).
Galeos garnered an 82.7 percent IOG score, Calderon obtained 82.2 percent, while Shimura posted 80.7 percent.
Cebu City South District Representative Cutie Del Mar recorded a 70.9 percent IOG score, which landed her in the sixth spot.
In the city mayoral category, aside from Ouano, Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cindi King-Chan emerged statistically tied under the survey’s “Tier 1” classification as Central Visayas’ top-performing city mayors.
Ouano, who registered an 85.2 percent IOG score, was followed by Mayor Gullas with 84.7 percent and Mayor Chan with 83.5 percent.
Their ratings, accordingly, were driven by strong performances in leadership, fiscal discipline, anti-corruption programs, digital governance reforms, infrastructure modernization, disaster response, and overall constituent service.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival posted an 81.9 percent IOG score, followed by Talisay City Mayor Joie Perales with 81.1 percent, and City of Naga Mayor Val Chiong with 79.1 percent.
Also included in the regional rankings are Bogo City Mayor Mayel Martinez with 75.2 percent, Danao City Mayor Nito Durano with 71.8 percent, and Carcar City Mayor Patrick Barcenas with 70.7 percent, reflecting what RPMD described as a growing public demand for governance anchored on performance, accountability, modernization, and visible public service delivery.
The survey, conducted from April 1 to 8, 2026, formed part of RPMD’s nationwide “Boses ng Bayan” initiative, which measures public trust, governance performance, accessibility, responsiveness, and public confidence in elected officials.
A total of 5,000 randomly selected respondents from various socioeconomic classes across Central Visayas were interviewed face-to-face. According to RPMD Executive Director Dr. Paul Martinez, who is also a political and global affairs analyst and columnist, the survey reflects the growing preference of voters for leaders associated with effective governance, visible public service, accessibility, and responsive leadership.
Martinez, on the RPMD Facebook page, explained that the “trust” component measures public confidence, credibility, integrity, consistency, and the perceived sincerity of elected officials, while the “performance” component evaluates legislative productivity, district representation, accessibility, responsiveness to constituents, implementation of public service programs, and overall governance delivery.
Uy: embrace servant leadership
Meanwhile, Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy called on government officials to embrace leadership through service and to prioritize the welfare of the people over personal ambition.
In his reflection titled “Maymay sa Magbalantay” on May 27, he used the Gospel account of the apostles asking for honorable positions to compare it with today’s political culture of power and status.
He then specifically challenged senators and congressmen to view their roles as public service rather than as positions of power or privilege.
“What if senators understood that a seat in the Senate is not a throne but a table of service?” Uy said.
“What if congressmen understood that public funds are not personal rewards but resources entrusted for the common good?” he added.
He also questioned whether the success of politicians should be measured through surveys or through their actual impact on people’s lives.
Uy concluded his reflection by urging leaders to choose “service over applause, integrity over influence, and sacrifice over privilege,” and called on everyone to begin national transformation through personal conversion and faith.
| Written by Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/IHM
