The 2024 Philippine Trust Study revealed that the local government units (LGUs) have the highest trust rating among the sectors in government, garnering a 95.4 percent grade, according to the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP).
In a statement, ULAP president and Quirino Governor Dax Cua said that this should remind leaders of "their enormous responsibility to the people they have sworn to serve."
The 2024 Philippine Trust Study was conducted through a nationwide survey among 1,800 adult respondents and nationwide focus group discussions from November 2023 to October this year with the error margin is +/-2 at 95 percent confidence level.
The governor’s group explained that the study explored the meaning of trust across six sectors: government, business, media, religious institutions, nongovernmental organizations and the academe.
The study showed that other sectors that Filipinos trust highly are TV stations at 93.6 percent, and the Roman Catholic Church at 92.4 percent.
The study was conducted by EON The Stakeholders Relations Group in partnership with Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Development Studies.
"We LGUs have a close relationship with our constituents because we are frontliners in their lives and the life of the community. We are there from womb to tomb, amid every joyous occasion and throughout various crises," Cua emphasized.
"We are heartened to see that the public recognizes our efforts to serve, but it is also humbling as it underscores just how crucial it is that we do not break the trust bestowed on us," he added.
Further, Cua also called on his fellow leaders to continue building on the public’s trust through concrete action.
“Huwag tayo tumigil sa pagiisip kung paano natin patuloy na maitataguyod ang kapakanan ng ating mga pinagsisilbihan, lalo na ang mga pinaka-nangangailangan ng tulong ng pamahalaan (Let us not stop in finding ways on how to uplift the living condition of our constituents, especially those who are in dire need of the government’s assistance)," Cua asserted.
The ULAP chief pointed out that "if we wish to leave behind a legacy, let it be a legacy of sincere service and effective leadership that makes a real impact in the lives of our constituents."