09/06/2026
Congratulations our dear Governor Lray Villafuerte.
'๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐'
Public trust in provincial leadership remains strong across the Bicol Region, with all six governors surpassing RPMD Foundation Inc.'s governance benchmark and several posting exceptionally high ratings in both trust and performance. The latest ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐. โ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐งโ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ reveals a region where voters continue to reward leaders who demonstrate effective governance, responsive public service, accountability, and measurable results. The findings provide a comprehensive snapshot of public sentiment toward provincial leadership and underscore the growing importance of governance performance as a key measure of political success.
The assessment utilized RPMD's ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฑ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ (๐๐๐), a composite governance indicator derived from both ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ and ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ. Unlike popularity surveys, the IOG measures public confidence in elected officials and evaluates their actual performance in office, making it a more comprehensive gauge of leadership effectiveness, governance quality, and constituent satisfaction.
Leading the regional rankings is ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ โ๐๐๐๐ฒโ ๐
๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ ๐๐ซ. ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ, who posted an outstanding ๐๐.๐% ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฑ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ (๐๐๐). His rating was generated from ๐๐.๐% ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ and ๐๐.๐% ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ scores, placing him firmly within RPMD's highest-performing governance tier. The results reflect broad constituent confidence in his leadership, public service delivery, and overall provincial management. The findings indicate that residents continue to view his administration favorably across key governance indicators, making him the highest-rated provincial governor in the Bicol Region.
Ranking second is ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฒ, who registered an impressive 80.4% IOG, supported by 80.2% Trust and 80.7% Performance ratings. The findings demonstrate sustained public approval of his administration and reflect strong constituent satisfaction with governance initiatives, service delivery, and leadership effectiveness throughout the province.
Securing third place is ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐, who achieved a strong 77.7% IOG, derived from 77.3% Trust and 78.1% Performance ratings. His results underscore continued public confidence in provincial governance and indicate favorable voter assessments regarding responsiveness, accessibility, and overall administrative performance.
In fourth place is ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐จ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ง, who posted a solid 74.1% IOG, generated from 73.7% Trust and 74.5% Performance ratings. The results suggest that residents continue to recognize and appreciate the administration's efforts in governance, public service delivery, and provincial development initiatives.
Completing the Top Five is ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐, who recorded a 69.8% IOG, backed by 69.4% Trust and 70.2% Performance ratings. The findings place him well above RPMD's 55 percent passing benchmark and indicate generally positive constituent evaluations of his leadership and management of provincial affairs.
Meanwhile, ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค ๐๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ earned a respectable 67.9% IOG, supported by 67.5% Trust and 68.3% Performance ratings. While ranking sixth overall, the governor remains within RPMD's strong-performing category, reflecting positive public sentiment and favorable assessments of governance performance among Catanduanes residents.
Based on RPMD's governance classification framework, Governors Luis Raymund โLRayโ Favis Villafuerte Jr., Noel Rosal, D**g Padilla, and Boboy Hamor belong to the region's Top Governance Tier, having achieved IOG ratings exceeding 70 percent, reflecting very strong public approval and governance effectiveness. Meanwhile, Governors Richard Kho and Patrick Azanza belong to the Strong Governance Tier, posting ratings significantly above RPMD's 55 percent passing benchmark, indicating favorable constituent evaluations and positive assessments of their respective administrations.
According to Dr. Paul Martinez, Global Affairs Analyst and Executive Director of RPMD Foundation Inc., the results demonstrate that Bicolano voters are increasingly evaluating their leaders based on governance outcomes rather than political affiliation or popularity. He emphasized that citizens are paying closer attention to service delivery, responsiveness, accountability, program implementation, and overall provincial management when assessing their elected officials.
"๐ป๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐
๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐," ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
.
Martinez further noted that the Bicol Region survey is part of RPMD Foundation Inc.'s nationwide โBoses ng Bayanโ public service initiative, which regularly monitors public sentiment toward elected officials and institutions nationwide.
"๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐," ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐
.
The RPMD Foundation Inc. โBoses ng Bayanโ Bicol Region Governance Assessment was conducted from April 1โ8, 2026, through interviews with 5,000 randomly selected respondents across the six provinces of the Bicol Region, representing all socio-economic classes. The survey carries a ยฑ1% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. The Bicol Region survey forms part of RPMD Foundation Inc.'s nationwide โBoses ng Bayanโ initiative and is conducted as part of the organization's public service program. The study is independent and non-commissioned, designed to measure current public sentiment, trust, and governance performance among elected officials and public institutions.
The assessment utilized RPMD's Index of Governance (IOG) framework, which combines Trust Ratings and Performance Ratings into a single governance score. Trust Ratings measure public confidence, credibility, integrity, leadership reliability, and overall confidence in a governor's ability to govern effectively. Performance Ratings evaluate actual governance outcomes, service delivery effectiveness, responsiveness, project implementation, and overall administrative performance.
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ฌwere evaluated using a comprehensive governance framework that measured public perceptions across multiple dimensions of provincial leadership and administration. These include ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก, ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ, ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ, and the governor's overall ability to improve the quality of life of residents throughout the province. Respondents were likewise asked to assess whether their governors have effectively fulfilled campaign commitments, utilized public resources responsibly, delivered tangible results, and provided competent leadership in addressing the province's most pressing challenges.
According to Martinez, the governance assessment reflects a growing trend among Filipino voters who are becoming increasingly performance-oriented in their evaluation of public officials.
"Citizens today are looking beyond personalities and political affiliations. They want effective governance, efficient public services, responsible stewardship of public funds, and leaders who remain visible, accessible, and responsive to their constituents' needs. The higher the trust and performance ratings, the stronger the public validation of a governor's leadership and governance outcomes," Martinez added.
Under RPMD standards, an Index of Governance (IOG) score of 55% constitutes the minimum passing benchmark for governance performance. Scores from 55% to 59.99% indicate acceptable governance performance; ratings of 60% and above reflect strong governance performance, while scores of 70% and above signify very strong public approval and governance effectiveness. The higher the rating, the stronger the public validation of an official's trustworthiness, leadership effectiveness, and performance in office.
The results show that all six Governors surpassed the passing benchmark, with four reaching the Top Governance Tier and the remaining two earning the Strong Governance Tier. The findings suggest that governance in the Bicol Region remains generally strong, with voters continuing to place significant value on accountability, service delivery, responsiveness, and tangible results. As the electorate becomes increasingly performance-driven, the survey serves as a valuable barometer of public sentiment and provides leaders with important insights into how their constituents evaluate governance. Ultimately, the results underscore a growing reality in modern governance: trust may open the door to leadership, but sustained performance, effective service delivery, and tangible results are what earn lasting public confidence and political legitimacy.
