Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has topped a “comprehensive survey to evaluate the performance” of city mayors nationwide.
The groundbreaking research, dubbed “Boses ng Bayan,” was conducted by the RP- Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD), covering a total of 145 city mayors across the country.
“The study scrutinized the effectiveness of city mayors across seven crucial categories, including service delivery, financial stewardship, economic progress, leadership and governance, environmental management, social services, and public engagement,” said RPMD executive director Dr. Paul Martinez.
Belmonte emerged on top of the list with an “unmatched” score of 94.35 percent, giving her the distinction of being the “most accomplished city mayor in the Philippines” for the first quarter of 2023.
Others in the honor roll were Eric Singson of Candon (92.80%), Nacional Mercado of Maasin (90.26%), Art Robes of San Jose Del Monte (89.75%), Jonas Cortes of Mandaue (88.89%), Denver Chua of Cavite (88.85%), Indy Oaminal of Ozamis (88.78%), and Samsam Gullas Jr. of Talisay (88.35%).
Also joining the best achievers were Bambol Tolentino of Tagaytay (88.29%), Ahong Chan of Lapu-Lapu (88.18, Eric Africa of Lipa (88.13%), Benjamin Magalong of Baguio (87.82%), Jay Diaz of Ilagan (87.69%), Geraldine Rosal of Legaspi (87.55%), and Sheena Tan of Santiago (87.42%),
Albee Benitez of Bacolod (83.77%), Pat Evangelista of Kidapawan (83.57%), Bruce Matabalao of Cotabato (83.16%), Jerry Trenas of Iloilo (82.94%), Darel Uy of Dipolog (82.85%), Sitti Hataman of Isabela (82.34%), Baste Duterte of Davao (82.11%), Bullet Jalosjos of Dapitan (81.92%), Joe Relampagos of Panabo (81.83%), and Roxanne Pimentel of Tandag (80.10%).
In a statement, Martinez said RPMD’s evaluation reinforces accountability among City Mayors, ensuring efficient and skilled performance.
He also said RPMD highlighted its role in strengthening good governance by assessing adherence to standards, civic engagement, and effective service delivery. “The comprehensive assessment covers key aspects of the city administration, encouraging continual improvement and citizen-centric leadership.”
According to him, RPMD’s high criteria to be the Philippines’ top city mayor is difficult. Regional performance and constituency evaluation are crucial—this rigorous process honors outstanding city mayors.
The survey which polled 10,000 registered voters from all districts, with proportional distribution per city and sample margin of error of ±1% at a 95% confidence level.