Senatorial candidate and Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero took the number two spot among the top five best performing governors nationwide, according to an independent, non-commissioned survey conducted by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation, Inc. (RPMD).
Escudero, who is seeking a new six-year mandate in the Senate this coming May Elections, got 81 percent approval from respondents who participated in a face-to-face survey conducted from February 22-28, 2022.
“Ratings and rankings are comprehensively examined based on work performance. Mayors have a diversified range of responsibilities as the local Chief Executive. Governors are accountable for implementing programs and initiatives, enforcing laws, and implementing the provincial development plan,” according to RPMD’s Dr. Paul Martinez.
“These public officials who performed well in ‘constituent service’ and service to the country should be congratulated and commended for their exceptional performance,” he added.
Martinez explained that each district, city or province was polled for the RPMD Public Satisfaction Survey, and respondents were asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way [name of Mayor/Governor/Representative] is carrying out his/her duties as (Mayor/Governor/Representative)?”
“The nationwide performance assessment survey of all City Mayors and Governors, as well as District Representatives, gathered a total of 10,000 respondents, using random sampling and face-to-face interviews, with a margin of error of +/- 1% and a confidence level of 95%,” Martinez said.
Escudero, a consistent top pick in various pre-election senatorial surveys, has been praised for his accomplishments in Sorsogon barely three years since he was elected in 2019.
One of his notable achievements is securing the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification for all the units of the provincial government, including all the nine hospitals under the Sorsogon Provincial Health Office, after going through a stringent vetting.
Even at the height of the pandemic, the province has also successfully managed the spread of the virus that more than half of its 541 barangays were spared from COVID-19.
As the province closed its doors to local and foreign visitors due to lockdowns that followed because of the public health crisis, Escudero took it as an opportunity to implement construction and rehabilitation of various infrastructure projects, such as the new 5.52-kilometer Sorsogon Coastal Road which was inaugurated in August 2020.
Sorsogon was also able to complete major projects under Escudero’s watch such as the new offices of the Civil Service Commissions (CSC); the Provincial Veterinary Office and Animal Shelter; the Philippine Fiber Industry Authority (PhilFIDA); and the opening of the province’s first isolation and treatment facility for COVID-19 and other communicable diseases to strengthen the provincial government’s health capability and response.
Recently, Escudero led the groundbreaking of the first cancer treatment facility in Sorsogon, as part of his campaign agenda to provide quality health care and better medical facilities to Sorsoganons.
The province is also set to start the construction of the Home for the Homeless Gays, another first in the province, which is envisioned to cater to abandoned members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The haven will also have a livelihood training center for the LGBT to help them earn a living.
Sorsogon also saw the rehabilitation and beautification of its landmark tourist attractions, such as the completion of the American-era Provincial Capitol, the establishment of Museo ng Sorsogon, the restoration of the 19th century Barcelona Church and the expansion of the Bulusan Natural Park, which has reopened on March 6.