SURVEY GALORE: Separate poll shows Pam score high trust rating

Local

CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro received high performance and trust ratings in a business-commissioned survey conducted during the first 10 months of her administration, as her camp also pushed back against a separate poll that showed lower public approval scores.

The April 2026 survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,067 respondents across Cebu, gave Baricuatro an 88.7-percent performance rating and an 81.5-percent trust rating.

The survey, commissioned by the business community as part of its due diligence in assessing investment opportunities and public sentiment, cited the provincial government’s healthcare initiatives, disaster response efforts, and deployment of additional medical personnel as among the key reasons for the favorable assessment.

Respondents also noted the provision of free medical treatment and the administration’s response to residents affected by disasters.

The findings further showed that 77.7 percent of respondents said they would likely support candidates endorsed by the governor in future local and national elections.

Researchers said the governor’s endorsement influence cuts across demographic groups and districts, indicating broad-based political support.

The release of the positive survey came as Baricuatro’s camp criticized a separate survey conducted by RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD), which placed her trust rating at 42.5 percent, performance rating at 43.8 percent, and Index of Governance score at 43.1 percent.

All three ratings fell below RPMD’s 55-percent benchmark for governance assessment.

RPMD said the results suggested the governor “continues to retain support from portions of the electorate,” but noted that respondents were increasingly evaluating governance based on “measurable governance outcomes, implementation of campaign commitments, service delivery efficiency, and overall provincial management.”

Baricuatro’s allies questioned the credibility of the RPMD findings by resurfacing earlier surveys released during the 2025 gubernatorial race.

Dr. Nikki Catalan, the governor’s daughter, reposted RPMD’s previous “Boses ng Bayan” surveys showing Baricuatro trailing former governor Gwendolyn Garcia by large margins before the elections.

RPMD’s December 2024 survey reportedly showed Baricuatro with 5.4 percent against Garcia’s 90.2 percent, while an April 2025 survey listed Baricuatro at 3.2 percent and Garcia at 95.8 percent.

Despite those figures, Baricuatro won the 2025 gubernatorial election with more than one million votes, defeating Garcia, who received over 700,000 votes.

Reacting to the latest RPMD findings, Catalan posted on social media: “Ah yes, RPMD ‘Bosses ng Bayan.’ We remember how ‘credible’ you are.”

Baricuatro later reshared the post with the caption, “Demolition job pa more.”

Assistant Provincial Administrator Atty. Aldwin Empaces also urged the public to scrutinize survey results carefully, saying RPMD has long faced questions regarding its methodology and transparency.

“Lack of transparency has prompted some analysts to view their data with caution,” Empaces said.

Empaces added that critics have raised concerns over whether some surveys were commissioned for political purposes rather than conducted as independent studies, including issues involving the disclosure of funding sources and institutional details.(MyTVCebu)