Ben Madilynn
CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan and Fifth District Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco lead the top-performing elected officials in Central Visayas, a survey said.
Eight months before the May 2025 midterm elections, the political atmosphere is heating up, with surveys starting to reveal the early frontrunners in the race.
A survey by RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD), conducted from July 1 to 10, 2024, assessed the performance of Central Visayas governors for the second quarter. Governor Garcia topped the list with a 94.5 percent satisfaction rating, followed by Negros Oriental Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria (91.3 percent), Siquijor Gov. Jake Villa (90.8 percent), and Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (88.6 percent).
In a phone interview, Dr. Paul Martinez, executive director of RPMD, said the survey was conducted face-to-face methodology with 10,000 respondents.
Martinez said the survey has a statistical margin of error of +/-1 percent and a confidence level of 95 percent. The governors, he said, were evaluated on legal compliance, strategic vision, decision-making, fiscal management, crisis response, public service enhancement, community engagement, and economic and social development.
Martinez said they have conducted these surveys in the last 13 years, adding that a lot of local officials are waiting for their quarterly performance reports.
Evaluating mayors
Mayors, on the other hand, were evaluated based on critical indicators such as public service efficiency, transparency and accountability, community engagement, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability. The survey also measures health and safety protocols, improvements in education and youth programs, economic development initiatives, and support for cultural and recreational programs.
Among the Cebu mayors, including those of the three highly urbanized cities, are Chan and Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. tied for first place with 90.1 percent and 90 percent, respectively. Toledo City Mayor Marjorie Perales came in second with 87.8 percent, followed by Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia in third place with 84.6 percent, Bogo City Mayor Carlo Jose Martinez with an 82.5 percent satisfaction rating, and Naga City Mayor Val Chiong in fifth place with 80.8 percent.
Martinez said the independent, non-commissioned faceto-face survey spanned all barangays, employing multistage probability sampling to ensure the sample represented the city’s diverse voter base.
In the House of Representatives, seven Cebu lawmakers shared the number one spot with a Negrense.
Lawmakers were assessed based on three essential criteria: district representation, legislative performance, and constituent service. Martinez explained that constituent service is a very critical evaluation metric for lawmakers since they are most evaluated by their constituents on this metric.
Sharing the number one spot are these lawmakers:
* Vincent Franco Domingo Frasco, Fifth District, Cebu (91.5 percent)
* Pablo John Garcia, Third District, Cebu (91.3 percent)
* Rhea Mae Gullas, First District, Cebu (91.2 percent)
* Emmarie Ouano Dizon, Mandaue City Lone District, Cebu (91.1 percent)
* Ma. Cynthia Chan, LapuLapu City Lone District, Cebu (90.9 percent)
* Eduardo Rama Jr., Second District, Cebu City (90. 8 percent)
* Daphe Lagon, Sixth District, Cebu (90.7 percent),
* Manuel Sagarbarria, Second District, Negros Oriental (90.6 percent).
Zaldy Villa of Siquijor ranked second with 88.4 percent, followed by Jocelyn Limkaichong, First District, Negros Oriental, (87.3 percent), while Maria Vanessa Aumentado, Second District, Bohol (86.1 percent), and Janice Salimbangon, Fourth DisLOCAL trict, Cebu (85.7 percent), both ranked fourth, and Kristine Alexie Tutor, Third District, Bohol, took fifth place with an 82.5 percent performance rating.
Martinez said the surveys they conduct are mostly privately funded and also sponsored by some business communities.
In a separate survey related to the coming elections, Congresswoman Dizon and Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia will most likely win.
Respondents were asked, “If the 2025 elections for the next Congressman/Congresswoman, mayor, were held today, who would you choose?
In Cebu City, Garcia has garnered 39 percent voter backing in a competitive fiveway race.
Previously, in a three-way contest, Garcia had secured 35 percent. In the most recent poll, Garcia received 39 percent of the vote, with suspended Mayor Michael Rama coming in second with 17 percent, Cebu City Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong taking third with 13 percent, City Councilor Nestor Archival taking fourth with 10 percent, and former Customs Commissioner Yogi Ruiz coming in fifth with six percent.
Martinez said a critical 15 percent of voters remain undecided, though trends indicate a potential sway toward Garcia.
In Mandaue City, a poll shows Congresswoman Dizon leading with 53 percent of the vote in Mandaue City, while Mayor Jonas Cortes trails with 37 percent. A 10 percent undecided vote set the stage for a thrilling 2025 election, the survey said.
RPMD releases performance ratings every quarter, while popularity surveys are independent and non-commissioned. (MVG)
