30/06/2026
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
Public trust remains one of the clearest indicators of effective local governance. The latest independent and non-commissioned ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐. (๐๐๐๐) "๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ง" survey reveals the city mayors in the ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐จ (๐๐๐๐๐) who earned the highest confidence of their constituents through the ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฑ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ (๐๐๐)โa composite measure of ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ and ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ratings. The findings reflect how voters evaluate their local leaders based on integrity, leadership, service delivery, and their ability to improve the lives of the communities they serve.
Emerging as the region's highest-rated City Mayor is ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐จ, who garnered an impressive 84.7% Index of Governance (IOG), composed of 84.3% Trust and 85.1% Performance ratings. His strong showing reflects sustained public confidence in his administration's efforts to strengthen peace and order, improve local infrastructure, expand social services, and promote economic activity in Cotabato City. As the administrative center of BARMM, Cotabato City plays a vital role in regional development, and the survey indicates that residents recognize Mayor Matabalao's commitment to responsive, transparent, and results-oriented governance.
Securing second place is ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐
๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฒ, who earned an IOG of 82.7%, with 82.4% Trust and 83.1% Performance ratings. His administration continues to receive favorable public assessment for advancing local development, improving accessibility to government services, strengthening education and healthcare initiatives, supporting agriculture and tourism, and maintaining close engagement with constituents. The ratings demonstrate that the people of Lamitan City appreciate consistent leadership that delivers practical and inclusive governance.
Completing the Top Three is ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐ข ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ซ๐, who registered an 81.1% IOG, supported by 80.5% Trust and 81.8% Performance ratings. The results reflect continued public recognition of his leadership in advancing Marawi City's recovery and long-term development following years of rebuilding efforts. Residents acknowledged initiatives focused on infrastructure rehabilitation, livelihood opportunities, public services, and community stability, highlighting the importance of resilient leadership in sustaining the city's progress.
All three city mayors scored well above the ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐๐%, placing them in the very strong governance and public confidence category. Their ratings demonstrate that BARMM voters continue to reward leaders who deliver tangible results while maintaining transparency, accountability, and responsiveness to their constituents' needs.
The RPMD Index of Governance (IOG) provides a comprehensive assessment of local leadership by combining Trust Ratings, which measure public confidence in a leader's integrity, credibility, and transparency, with Performance Ratings, which evaluate governance across key indicators, including leadership effectiveness, fiscal management, infrastructure, healthcare, education, social services, disaster preparedness, environmental stewardship, peace and order, digital governance, and responsiveness to community concerns. By integrating these two dimensions, the IOG offers an objective measure of both public confidence and administrative effectiveness.
๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ณ, Executive Director of RPMD Foundation Inc. and a Global Affairs and Political Analyst, said the survey demonstrates that people's confidence ultimately measures effective governance.
"๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ" Dr. Martinez said.
The survey was conducted independently by RPMD Foundation Inc. from April 1 to 8, 2026, among 5,000 registered voters across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) using proportional quota sampling. The regional survey carries a ยฑ1% margin of error at a 95% confidence level and was fully independent and non-commissioned, ensuring that the results reflect the genuine views of BARMM voters without influence from any candidate, political party, or government office.
The "Boses ng Bayan" survey continues to serve as RPMD's independent benchmark for governance, recognizing leaders who have earned their constituents' confidence through integrity, competence, and responsive public service. As BARMM continues to pursue inclusive growth, lasting peace, and institutional development, the survey underscores that the region's voters increasingly value leaders who combine effective governance with genuine public trust.
Methodology
The RPMD "Boses ng Bayan" Index of Governance (IOG) is computed by averaging Trust Ratings and Performance Ratings into a single governance index. Respondents assessed their city mayors across multiple governance indicators, including leadership effectiveness, transparency, fiscal management, infrastructure development, healthcare, education, social services, disaster preparedness, environmental protection, peace and order, digital innovation, and responsiveness to constituents. An IOG score of 55% is considered the passing benchmark, while 60% and above indicates strong public approval, and 70% or higher signifies very strong governance performance and public confidence. The survey follows internationally accepted standards for public opinion research and remains independent, scientific, and non-commissioned, ensuring an objective and credible measurement of public sentiment.
