MANILA – Local government units (LGUs) are the most trusted sector in the country. This was the finding of the 2024 Philippine Trust Study, which showed that LGUs have the highest trust rating among the sectors of government, earning a rating of 95.4 percent.
The study was conducted by EON The Stakeholders Relations Group in partnership with Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Development Studies. It explored the meaning of trust across six sectors: government, business, media, religious institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the academe.
The high trust rating should remind leaders of their enormous responsibility to the people they have sworn to serve, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) president, Quirino Governor Dax Cua, said on Thursday.
“We LGUs have a close relationship with our constituents because we are frontliners in their lives and in the life of the community. We are there from womb to tomb, amid every joyous occasion and throughout various crises,” Cua said. “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.”
Cua called on his fellow leaders to continue building on the public’s trust through concrete action.
“Huwag tayo tumigil sa pag-iisip 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 thinking about how we can support the welfare of our constituents, especially those who truly need government assistance),” Cua said.