Chan, Gullas ‘best’ city mayors

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu mayors Junard “Ahong” Chan of Lapu-Lapu City and Gerard Anthony “Samsam” Gullas of Talisay City ranked first as top performing chief executive among the 149 city mayors of the country.

This is based on the latest RP-Mission Development (RPMD) Foundation Inc.’s Boses nang Bayan survey, where Chan got a rating of 90.15% while Gullas got 90.07%.

“Pagkalami sa atong pagmata rong adlawng Sabado kay sa ikaduhang quarter nga evaluation, nagpabilin kitang TOP 1 Mayor sa tibuok Pilipinas matod pa sa RPMD , ang usa sa pinakadakong patigayon nga consistent nga nagsukod sa performance sa mga lider sa matag lugar sa tibuok Pilipinas,” said Chan, in a Facebook post.

He said he was thankful that he remains as a top-performing mayor and would consider this as an inspiration to continue on what he has started.

“Di kini mahitabo kundi tungod sa among teamwork ni Congresswoman Ma. Cynthia ‘Cindi’ King Chan uban sa atong mga KAABAG City Councilors nga gipangulohan ni Vice Mayor Celedonio “Celsi” Sitoy lakip na ang mga naghiusang KAABAG Barangay Captains ug mga Department/Office Heads,” he further said.

“Bunga lamang ang tanan sa panaghiusa sa tanang mga KAABAG nga adunay kasingkasing nga maghatod og tinuoray nga serbisyo para sa mga katawhan. Congratulations to us, mga Oponganons,” Chan added.

Truly honored

For his part, Gullas said that he is “truly honored and proud to be recognized as one of the top-performing city mayors in the entire country.”

“This achievement is not mine alone. It belongs to every employee of the Talisay City Government. Sama sa akong giingon, dili ta mahimong magmalampuson kung way suporta og tabang,” he said.

He cited the City Council headed by Vice Mayor Choy Aznar, the department heads, the assistant department heads, section heads of City Hall; barangay officials, Sangguniang Kabataan officials; “and dedicated employees who work tirelessly to serve every Talisaynon”.

“This accomplishment is ours—yours, mine, and for all of Talisay,” Gullas said.

Along with him and Chan, Mayor Joy Belmonte (90.58%) of Quezon City; Mayor Jeannie Sandoval (90.36%) of Malabon City; Mayor Eric Singson (90.32%) of Candon City; Mayor John Rey Tiangco (90.19%) of Navotas City; Mayor Eric Olivarez (89.88%) of Parañaque City; and Mayor Along Malapitan (89.63%) of Caloocan City, are also in the top spots.

In its Facebook page, RPMD said that these “outstanding mayor have demonstrated exemplary governance, proactive community engagement, and a deep commitment to public service, earning them high regard as top-tier performers in the Philippine local government.”

The latest survey, it said, is an “independent, non-commissioned survey unveiling the 20 top-performing city mayors in the Philippines for their exceptional dedication and service.”

RPMD said the survey is designed to “promote accountability and public service excellence, the initiative employs a structured survey methodology to gauge mayor’s effectiveness in governance, public service, and responsiveness to their constituents' needs.”

Dr. Paul Martinez, RPMD global affairs analyst and executive director, said the “survey underscores the dedication and effective leadership of mayors from diverse regions, honoring those who have consistently uplifted their communities through committed service and proactive governance.”

“It celebrates the exceptional leadership of these mayors, whose unwavering commitment to service and responsiveness to their constituents set them apart as exemplary public officials,” he said.

Martinez said he performance assessment was “rigorous”, especially since a mayor could only qualify as a candidate for top-performing mayor of the country only if he is a top performer in his region.

He said the “comprehensive evaluation” was meant to “recognize and celebrate mayors who exemplify outstanding governance, driving positive change and meaningful progress within their communities”.

“The nationwide survey for the second quarter (of the year) encompasses a statistically representative sample of residents in each city, capturing various perspectives across various demographics,” Martinez said.

RPMD said 10,000 respondents were selected through random sampling to ensure accuracy and fairness, with public safety measures, social services, infrastructure development, transparency, and overall satisfaction with local government performance as part of the “critical parameters.”

“This assessment provides an authoritative evaluation of leadership effectiveness, acknowledging high-performing mayors who have significantly contributed to their communities,” it said. (CEBU NEWS)