Two governance advocacy groups have released a province-wide citizen survey identifying the top-performing councilors of Negros Oriental for the first quarter of 2026, ranking local legislators on how residents rated their performance across five key governance indicators: service delivery, accessibility, transparency, responsiveness, and constituent participation.
The Governance and Participation Index (GPI) survey was published jointly by Transparency, Good Governance and Accountability Advocates and Visayas Social Pulse. According to the organizations, the study was conducted from April 10 to 20, 2026, covering 4,000 adult respondents drawn from cities and municipalities across Negros Oriental. The survey carries a margin of error of plus or minus three percent at a 95-percent confidence level.
The results, which name more than 60 councilors across 10 ranking tiers, represent the first quarterly release under the GPI framework for 2026. A follow-up report covering Top 11 to Top 20 performers is still expected from the groups.
Citizen-Centered Scoring Method Behind the GPI Rankings
According to the organizers, the Governance and Participation Index methodology is designed as a citizen-centered measurement tool that scores officials based on public perception rather than self-reported accomplishments or official performance audits.
The framework assesses five governance indicators: service delivery, accessibility, transparency, responsiveness, and constituent participation. Trust ratings — defined by the survey groups as a measure of how strongly residents believe their leaders act with integrity and genuine concern for public welfare — are weighed alongside visibility and project delivery.
In a statement posted alongside the survey results, the groups said: "Performance without trust is incomplete. The councilors who ranked highest this quarter are those who delivered results while earning the confidence of the people. That is the standard of leadership Negrosanons deserve."
The organizers emphasized that the survey draws on voices from all cities and municipalities of Negros Oriental, which they said ensures a broadly representative sample of constituent opinion across the province.
Three Highlights the Survey Groups Flagged in the Q1 Results
Transparency, Good Governance and Accountability Advocates and Visayas Social Pulse highlighted three key findings from the first-quarter data. First, top-ranked councilors scored highest for the efficient delivery of priority programs in peace and order, health, education, livelihood, and infrastructure advanced through legislation.
Second, respondents reported high confidence in leaders seen as accessible, transparent with public funds, and responsive to local concerns — with strong trust ratings accompanying high performance marks for the leading officials. Third, the survey drew participation from respondents across all cities and municipalities in the province, which the groups described as ensuring a representative voice in the rankings.
Full Q1 2026 Ranked List: Top 1 to Top 10
The following rankings and percentage scores are as provided by the survey organizers. Officials are listed per tier as released in the survey materials.
Top 1 — 91.70%: Rina Goñi, Thirdy Bouffard, Inday Jane Cardenas, Rey Lyndon Lawas, Godiardo Codera, Darren Philip Nipshagen, and Tata Capulso.
Top 2 — 91.15%: Marife Cordova, Mikle Abing, Atty. Dino Abiera, Clark Serion, Jonah Alar, and Reynaldo Tuanda Jr.
Top 3 — 90.70%: Atty. Jim Gara, Harmon Balbon, Monika Gustillo, Charles Delmo, and Gino Mijares.
Top 4 — 90.25%: Bongbong Tadifa, Arnold Labe, Rene Gargoles, and Cocoy Nuico.
Top 5 — 89.75%: Aurelia Abayda, Bingbing Arbolado, Anna Mariot Ortega, Atty. RJ Banquerigo, Rap Rap Andaya, Rosemarie Tinguha, and Mark Aurelia.
Top 6 — 89.40%: Kim Opada, EJ Uy, Chester Lim, Clem Banua, Dingdong Ang, Gerald Jun Borromeo, and Woodtamm Maquiling.
Top 7 — 89.10%: JV Imbo, Glivin Gabate, Nestle Villacampa, Jonathan Dingal, Florante Partosa, and Jose Manuel Montebon.
Top 8 — 88.80%: Edmar Bigay, Franklin Esmeña, Elsie Dagoy, Glendon Nochefranca, and James Bryan Solitana.
Top 9 — 88.25%: Lisa Tinaco, Elma Zanisi, Sheila Ruiz, Jeffrey Villegas, Melbourne Bustamante, and Stanley Fortugaleza.
Top 10 — 87.95%: Megio Bimbong, Edwin Omoso, Pristine Abrio, Bruce Marquita, and Atty. Mark Banquerigo.
The scores across all ten tiers range from a high of 91.70 percent at the top position to 87.95 percent at the tenth tier — a spread of less than four percentage points, indicating a closely competitive field among the province's recognized performers for the January-to-March period.
Survey Framed as Non-Partisan Accountability Tool for the Province
The organizers described the survey exercise as independent, non-partisan, and data-driven. According to their published statement, the purpose of the GPI survey is to promote accountability, transparency, and participatory governance across Negros Oriental by giving citizens a structured channel through which to evaluate the elected officials who represent them at the local legislative level.
The groups did not disclose the specific cities and municipalities where each ranked councilor serves, nor did the published materials identify which local government units the individual officials represent. The survey materials released to media list officials by name and tier rank only.
The survey methodology — citizen perception scoring across five governance dimensions — differs from formal government performance measurement systems such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government's Seal of Good Local Governance, which uses a separate set of institutional criteria and compliance-based indicators.
Remaining Rankings and Second-Quarter Timeline Still Pending
According to the organizers, the current release covers only the Top 1 through Top 10 performing councilors for Q1 2026. The results for Top 11 to Top 20 are expected to be published in a follow-up report, though no specific release date was provided in the materials made available as of the date of this report.
No information was provided by the groups on the schedule for the second-quarter 2026 survey cycle or whether the methodology would be adjusted for subsequent quarters.
Transparency, Good Governance and Accountability Advocates and Visayas Social Pulse have not released additional information on their organizational structure, funding, or previous survey publications, as of the time this article was prepared. The rankings and all figures cited in this report are as provided by the survey organizers in their published materials.
This article is based on survey materials released by Transparency, Good Governance and Accountability Advocates and Visayas Social Pulse. Rankings and figures are as provided by the organizers.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Transparency, Good Governance and Accountability Advocates / Visayas Social Pulse