By Helen Castaño | 05:36 PM May 29, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY — Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado emerged as the top-performing provincial governor in Central Visayas based on the latest “Index of Governance” (IOG) survey conducted by RPMD Foundation Inc.
Results of the nationwide “Boses ng Bayan” survey, released during a press conference in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, showed that Aumentado obtained an IOG score of 68.2 percent, the highest among governors in the region.
The rating was anchored on his 67.6-percent public trust score and 68.9-percent performance rating.
RPMD said the results reflected “sustained public confidence” in the Bohol provincial government’s service delivery, leadership stability, healthcare initiatives, infrastructure projects, tourism recovery efforts, and coordination with local stakeholders.
The survey was conducted from April 1 to 8, 2026, involving 5,000 randomly selected respondents from different socioeconomic classes nationwide through face-to-face interviews. RPMD said the survey had a margin of error of ±1 percent at a 95-percent confidence level.
The governance index evaluated provincial leaders based on public trust, administrative performance, accessibility, disaster response, infrastructure development, healthcare and education initiatives, transparency, fiscal management, anti-corruption efforts, agricultural support, and peace and order programs.
Stable public confidence
Dr. Paul Martinez, executive director of RPMD Foundation Inc. and a political and global affairs analyst, said Aumentado’s high ratings reflected stable public confidence in the provincial government’s direction.
Martinez said the governor’s ratings were particularly strong in service delivery, tourism recovery, healthcare support, infrastructure development, and local government coordination.
He added that achieving high scores in both trust and performance indicated consistency in leadership and responsiveness to constituents across various sectors.
Meanwhile, Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro posted an IOG score of 43.1 percent, with trust ratings at 42.5 percent and performance ratings at 43.8 percent.
RPMD noted that while Baricuatro continued to retain support from parts of the electorate, many respondents were placing greater emphasis on measurable governance outcomes, implementation of campaign commitments, and service delivery efficiency.
The survey group said governance challenges were common during the early stages of an administration, especially in large and politically diverse provinces such as Cebu.
RPMD said the Index of Governance survey serves as an independent gauge of public sentiment on leadership effectiveness, responsiveness, trustworthiness, and overall governance performance across the country.
