Bacolod City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez have been named by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD), a non-government organization, as among the top performing government officials in the country.
The independent and non-commissioned result of the “Boses ng Bayan” public sentiment survey conducted by the RPMD during the period of second quarter of 2024, indicated that Lacson ranked third among the top performing Philippine governors, garnering an exceptional job satisfaction rating of 90.5 percent.
According to the non-commissioned survey, Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia leads as the top-performing Governor nationwide, with a rating of 94.5 percent.
Lacson said his high ranking as governor “is a testament to the work of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.”
“This award is a testament to the work of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and reflects the unwavering support and trust of our fellow Negrenses in the programs and initiatives we’ve pursued together for our province,” Lacson said in a statement recently.
“I extend my gratitude to all members of our Provincial Government —your dedication, hard work, and shared commitment to the province have made this achievement possible—and, of course, to all my fellow Negrenses for appreciating our efforts,” the governor said adding that the “award inspire us to continue our work with even greater resolve, for the good of our province and people.”
The “Boses ng Bayan” initiative of the RPMD Foundation Inc. (RPMD) is a comprehensive assessment program that evaluates the job performance of 82 governors and 148 city mayors all over the country.
The evaluation encompasses six key performance indicators: leadership and governance, economic development and infrastructure, social welfare and public services, public safety and security, environmental management and sustainability, and public satisfaction and engagement, and responsiveness to their constituents’ needs, according to the RPMD.
The nationwide survey, engaged 10,000 respondents through face-to-face interviews, with a margin of error of ±1 percent and a 95 percent confidence level, it claimed.
In a statement, Benitez said “It is overwhelming to be ranked as among the top-performing mayors in the Philippines granted by the “Boses ng Bayan” initiative of the RPMD Foundation Inc. and ranked as second among all the city mayors, and so we are dedicating this recognition to the people of the City of Bacolod.”
It is the people who inspire us to work hard and effect the change they want to our beloved city. Although change is not an overnight thing, at least they are now seeing some of the changes they want to achieve, the mayor said.
As he thanked other Bacolod City officials, who helped his administration perform its best to serve the people, Benitez said “Rest assured that all our efforts have one motive in mind, which is to alleviate the status of living of all Bacolodnons.”
In the 2025 midterm elections, Lacson is seeking his 3rd and final term as governor of Negros Occidental, while Benitez is running for congressman in the Bacolod Lone District. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star)