MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is the most accomplished city mayor with an unmatched score of 94.35 percent, according to the assessment of the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD) of the performance of city mayors across the country.
The RPMD said the private group recently concluded a study to assess city mayors’ performance. The research initiative was constructed to scrutinize the “efficacy” of mayors against a broad spectrum of evaluative criteria, focal points of which encompass seven categories: service delivery, financial stewardship, economic progress, leadership and governance, environment management, social services and public engagement.
The groundbreaking “Boses ng Bayan” study included 145 mayors across the country.
“Ascending to the summit of this leadership pyramid was Joy Belmonte of Quezon City, who earned the distinguished recognition as the most accomplished city mayor in the Philippines for the initial quarter, boasting an unmatched score of 94.35 percent,” RPMD said.
Eric Singson of Candon City achieved a score of 92.80 percent, followed by Nacional Mercado of Maasin City (90.26 percent), Art Robes of San Jose del Monte City (89.75 percent) and Jonas Cortes of Mandaue City (88.89 percent).
“These results underscore the wide-ranging and potent leadership that propels the nation’s dynamism,” it said.
Denver Chua of Cavite City received a score of 88.85 percent, while Indy Oaminal of Ozamiz City (88.78 percent), Samsam Gullas Jr. of Talisay City (88.35 percent), Bambol Tolentino of Tagaytay City (88.29 percent) and Ahong Chan of Lapu-Lapu City (88.18 percent) also had good results.
Mayors Albee Benitez of Bacolod City (83.77 percent), Pat Evangelista of Kidapawan City (83.57 percent) and Bruce Matabalao of Cotabato City (83.16 percent) filled positions six through eight.
Mayor Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City received a score of 82.94 percent followed by Darel Uy of Dipolog City (82.85 percent), Sitti Hataman of Isabela City (82.34 percent), Baste Duterte of Davao City (82.11 percent), Bullet Jalosjos of Dapitan City (81.92 percent), Joe Relampagos of Panabo City (81.83 percent) and Roxanne Pimentel of Tandag City (80.10 percent).
RPMD said that its performance assessment of city mayors furnishes valuable insights into their effectiveness and underscores the importance of accountability, transparency and exceptional governance in city administration.
“The evaluative criteria span a wide array of facets, encouraging mayors towards constant improvement and citizen-centric leadership,” RPMD added.
According to RPMD, the extensive evaluation of city mayors plays a crucial role by reinforcing a robust accountability framework, ensuring that mayors discharge their duties with the utmost efficiency and skill.
RPMD executive director Paul Martinez said the evaluation “fortifies good governance by examining mayors’ adherence to legal and ethical standards, dedication to civic engagement, and ability to deliver public services efficiently.”
“Importantly, it also drives continuous improvement by illuminating areas of growth, with valuable feedback and suggestions serving as invaluable tools for mayors to refine their leadership skills, enhance their strategic acumen, and elevate their proficiency in city administration,” he said.
The “Top City Mayors in the Philippines” survey was integral to the national poll “RPMD’s Boses ng Bayan,” conducted from Feb. 25 to March 8, 2023. This survey spanned every district of each region, engaging a total of 10,000 respondents who were registered voters.
RPMD said the survey had a sampling margin of error of ±1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The respondent distribution per district was proportionally based on official voting population data, ensuring a robust and comprehensive evaluation.