ILOILO City – Iloilo cemented its dominance in Western Visayas governance rankings by producing the region’s top-performing city mayor, congressional representative, and provincial governor, highlighting strong public confidence in the province and city’s leadership.
Iloilo City’s Mayor Raisa Treñas and Cong. Julienne Baronda, and Iloilo province’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. emerged as the highest-rated officials in the region in their respective categories in the latest RPMD Foundation Inc. “Boses ng Bayan” Index of Governance survey.
Treñas topped all city mayors in Western Visayas with a 78.2-percent Index of Governance score, supported by a 77.8-percent trust rating and a 78.6-percent performance rating.
Baronda posted the highest rating among members of the House of Representatives in the region with an 87.9-percent Index of Governance score, backed by an 86.5-percent trust rating and an 87.3-percent performance rating.
Defensor led all provincial governors in Western Visayas with an 86.2-percent Index of Governance rating, earning recognition under RPMD’s Outstanding Governance Performance category.
Several other Iloilo lawmakers also ranked among the region’s top performers, including Cong. Lorenz Defensor (3rd District), Cong. Janette Garin (1st District), Cong. Ferjenel Biron (4th District), Cong. Kathryn Gorriceta (2nd District), and Cong. Binky Tupas (5th District).
The survey, conducted from April 1 to 8, 2026, involved 5,000 randomly selected respondents across Western Visayas and measured both trust and performance ratings to determine governance scores.
RPMD executive director Paul Martinez said governance ratings increasingly reflect public expectations for effective leadership.
“Public trust and performance remain deeply interconnected. Leaders who remain visible, responsive, and effective in addressing local concerns are more likely to earn sustained public confidence and stronger governance ratings,” Martinez said.
The survey also found that all provincial governors in Western Visayas scored above 80 percent, while all ranked city mayors and congressional representatives surpassed the foundation’s 70-percent benchmark for very strong public approval./PN
