• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez and his son, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez, also chair of the Association of Chief Executives in Negros Occidental, were among the top performing city mayors in Western Visayas, according to a survey conducted by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD).
The survey results also showed Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez among the top three Western Visayas solons who stood out with outstanding job performance scores.
The RPMD “Boses ng Bayan” is an independent and non-commissioned national survey that regularly conducts face-to-face interviews to evaluate the performance of public officials.
A newcomer to the job as a local chief executive, but with prior experience as a congressman of the 3rd district of Negros Occidental for nine years, Mayor Albee topped the “Boses ng Bayan” performance survey with a score of 83.7 percent, among WV local executives, closely trailed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, with a score of 82.9 percent, according to Dr. Paul Martinez of RPMD.
In a statement, Mayor Albee Benitez cited the team work of Bacolod City government employees, councilors and city officials, and the cooperation of the people, for his high performance rating in a recent survey.
Despite being a neophyte in the mayoral position, Mayor Benitez has demonstrated exceptional leadership and management skills, which have translated into tangible improvements for the citizens of Bacolod City, Martinez said, noting his ability to prioritize the needs of his constituents and execute strategic plans has undoubtedly contributed to his remarkable performance in the survey.
Also a first-termer local chief executive, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez ranked third among all Western Visayas city mayors with a 77.5 percent performance rating.
A statement issued by the Victorias City Public Information Office said that Mayor Javi is a consistent trailblazer in various innovative programs for sustainable education projects, digitalization, dignified human settlements, and a diversified economy within his first nine months of public service.
The “Boses ng Bayan” survey, which covers a range of metrics, from public safety and financial management to infrastructure and service delivery, provides an essential benchmark for measuring LCEs effectiveness and ability to deliver results, according to Martinez.
The survey is based on face-to-face interviews with 10,000 adult respondents, with a sampling error of +/-1 percent and a 95 percent confidence level. By doing these kinds of assessments regularly, leaders can be held accountable for their actions and constantly work to improve the lives of the people who live in their cities, he claimed.*
