DILG garners well-deserved recognition
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
The Manila Bulletin, which has a long-held tradition for fidelity to reliable news and news sources, recently reported the sustained public approval of the performance of the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. and his cabinet.
The Manila Bulletin recently shared with its readers the results of a private survey which showed that some 61 percent of Filipinos highly approve of the way the President has been running the country. This represented a five percentage-point increase from the previous survey. The poll also showed a decrease in the number of people dissatisfied with the administration – from 16 to 11 percent.
We congratulate the President and his team for a job well done. We are glad that our countrymen are recognizing good performance. In many ways, recognition is part of the fuel that public servants need to sustain the required energy for the fulfillment of their role and mission.
One more aspect of the survey reported by the Manila Bulletin caught our attention.
This was the report that Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, Jr. topped the satisfaction among the members of the President’s team. According to the survey, Secretary Abalos was rated number one with a 62.84 percent satisfaction grade. According to the survey, the rating reflects the superior satisfaction of the respondents with the accomplishments of Secretary Abalos “in tackling drug-related issues and corruption.”
This is the second recognition in a row given to the DILG head. It will be recalled that in May of this year, in an earlier survey, Secretary Benhur emerged as number one in performance and trust among President Bongbong Marcos, Jr.’s cabinet members. We recall that he earned a performance rating of 91 in job performance and 93 in trust.
The two successive surveys, which put Secretary Benhur at number one, reflect what concerns our countrymen most and how they define excellence in public service.
We did not need such a survey to know that Secretary Benhur has earned the admiration and respect of our countrymen nationwide. He has already previously established a record as an exceptional local government leader as he presided over the continuing and rapid transformation of Mandaluyong City. He was the incumbent mayor of Mandaluyong when it was named the “Tiger City of the Philippines” in 2002 in recognition of the dramatic progress it achieved after becoming a chartered city just eight years prior.
By naming the DILG Secretary as the best performer in the President’s team, our countrymen are saying once again that peace and order, public safety, and the quality of local governance are among their most important concerns.
The most recent feat of Secretary Benhur follows recent reports that criminality in our country is on a downtrend. At a recent briefing by the Philippine National Police (PNP) – a “bureau” under the DILG, Colonel Jean Fajardo said that the country’s index crime volume during the first five months of 2024 went down by 18.3 percent.
The PNP spokesperson attributed the decline to the PNP’s “strengthened anti-crime programs.” He underscored that the success of these programs comes from the support that the PNP has gotten from “other law enforcement agencies, force multipliers, and our barangays.”
There are other accomplishments marked by the President on the local government front, and these did not escape his attention – making them part of the centerpiece of his latest State of the Nation Address. He cited, in particular, the valuable contribution of Secretary Benhur’s team in the areas of health, disaster management, and sanitation. We believe these are the everyday existential issues that our countrymen face and experience. It appears that most of them have directly felt the impact of the Marcos administration’s gains in these vital arenas.
We will reiterate what we said in this column last May: Secretary Benhur’s feat also indicates the quality of leadership that Filipinos want and admire. We said that those who know and have worked with him say he is “hands-on,” “visible,” and an exceptional “multi-tasker.”
It must also be said that the good secretary can generate cooperation and to get various sectors to work together. We have seen this ability put into use, particularly in the clean-up drive launched at the barangay level. There are government programs and projects that would find it hard to succeed without an outstanding orchestra conductor at their helm.
Once again, we would like to say that, in Secretary Benhur, we found a voice and champion for the aspirations of local communities and an inspiration for good governance. We are fortunate to have a DILG Secretary who is one of us – one who understands the valuable role of vibrant local communities. They are the foundation of our country’s socio-economic and political structure.
We reiterate what we have said before: The voices of local communities must be heard, their aspirations are understood by the national leadership, and that programs and policies are put in place to bring those aspirations to reality. When that happens, our people easily recognize what the national leadership is doing for them.
In Secretary Benhur, our local communities found that bridge and voice.
Once again, congratulations, Secretary Benhur.
(The author is the current mayor of Antipolo City, former Rizal governor, DENR assistant secretary and LLDA general manager. For feedback, please email it to antipolocitygov@gmail.com)