The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) welcomes the results of the fifth Philippine Trust Index survey that includes local government units (LGUs) among the most trusted in the government.
According to the survey conducted among 1,200 respondents nationwide aged 18 and above from March to April, Filipinos today trust their government — especially the executive branch — almost thrice as much as they did in 2015.
The report says that among government sub-institutions, the Office of the President (82 percent) and local government units (78 percent) are the most trusted. Collectively, the executive branch was the most trusted.
“As the Department mandated to assist the President in the exercise of general supervision over local governments units (LGUs), we in the DILG are glad of the public’s improving trust in our LGUs,” says DILG Undersecretary for Local Government Austere A. Panadero.
The survey conducted by public relations firm Eon is the firm’s proprietary research that culls insights and opinions of Filipinos from various socioeconomic, educational and demographic backgrounds hailing from urban and rural areas all over the country.
Eon reports that “trust hinges on initiatives that impact Filipinos’ lives in tangible ways” and “Filipinos value the government’s ability to ensure peace and security and help the poor as the foremost driver of trust.”
On this note, Panadero says that the DILG is in solidarity with the government agencies under the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluster (HDPRCC) advocating the Kilos SAMBAYANAN (Kilos para sa Sampung Batayang Pangangailangan) flagship campaign.
The Kilos SAMBAYANAN initiative sets on a series of fora that inform the public about the programs and projects being implemented by the government according to the 10 basic needs of the Filipino people: food, land reform, water, shelter, work and national industrialization, healthcare, education, social protection, healthy environment, peace, and people’s participation.
The DILG Undersecretary says that “an informed citizenry has an informed opinion of its government” just like the respondents of the fifth Philippine Trust Index survey who consume news updates at least twice a week. “And it is on this premise that the Kilos SAMBAYANAN is hinging on to inform the Filipino people of the government’s tangible anti-poverty programs,” he says.
After the Kilos SAMBAYANAN’s Theme 1 (Edukasyon, Kalusugan at Proteksyon) forum in Quezon City on August 12, the Theme 2 (Pabahay, Lupa, Pagkain) is set to be conducted in October.
Already, DILG Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Catalino S. Cuy issued a memorandum circular to the City Governments of Vigan, Naga, Cebu, Davao, and Butuan urging them to support the simultaneous national and regional fora of Theme 2. (DILG-PR)
