House deputy speaker among top Central Luzon lawmakers; Bulacan solon leads survey

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June 13, 2026 | 3:10pm

SUBIC, Philippines — A House deputy speaker ranked among the top-performing members of Congress in Central Luzon, according to a non-commissioned trust and performance survey released by independent polling organization Research and Public Management Development (RPMD) Foundation Inc. on June 11.

Zambales 1st District Rep. and House Deputy Speaker Jefferson “Jay” Khonghun, a prominent member of the House's “Young Guns” bloc, placed second in RPMD’s latest “Boses ng Bayan” governance assessment with an 87.2% Index of Governance (IOG) score.

Khonghun closely followed San Jose del Monte City Rep. Arthur Robes, who topped the rankings with an 87.6% IOG score.

Completing the list of top congressional performers in Central Luzon were Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mika Suansing with 86.6%, Pampanga 2nd District Rep. and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with 86.0%, Aurora Rep. Rico Angara with 84.9%, Bulacan 4th District Rep. Linabelle Villarica with 84.2%, Bataan 2nd District Rep. Abet Garcia with 83.7%, Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Mica Gonzales with 83.2% and Bataan Rep. Tony Roman with 83.1%.

Meanwhile, Zambales 2nd District Rep. Doris “Bing” Maniquiz received an IOG score of 71.5%.

RPMD said the survey measured how constituents across Central Luzon perceive the performance and trustworthiness of their congressional representatives during the first quarter of the year.

The assessment used three indicators: district representation, which measures how lawmakers advance their constituents’ interests; legislative performance, which evaluates lawmaking and policy initiatives; and constituent service, which assesses accessibility, responsiveness and the delivery of assistance and public services.

According to RPMD, an IOG score of 55% serves as the passing benchmark, while ratings above 70% indicate strong governance performance and public confidence.

In the same survey, Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. was named among the region’s top-performing city mayors with an IOG score of 77.7%.

San Jose del Monte City Mayor Rida Robes topped the city mayor rankings with an 87.1% score.

Other top-performing city mayors were San Fernando City Mayor Vilma Caluag with 84.7%, Angeles City Mayor Jon Lazatin with 84.3%, Meycauayan City Mayor Henry Villarica with 83.4%, Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap with 83.1%, Balanga City Mayor Raquel Francis Garcia with 82.3%, Mabalacat City Mayor Geld Aquino with 82.1% and Cabanatuan City Mayor Myca Vergara with 80.8%.

RPMD said it conducted the survey in April among 5,000 respondents randomly selected from all socioeconomic classes across the region. The sample was weighted based on actual voter population and respondents were registered voters and constituents of their respective congressional districts.

RPMD Executive Director Dr. Paul Martinez said the results showed that voters continue to favor leaders who combine effective legislative work with strong grassroots engagement.

“Trust is earned when constituents consistently see results, responsiveness and genuine representation,” Martinez said.

“The findings indicate that Central Luzon voters are increasingly evaluating their representatives based on governance outcomes and public service performance rather than political rhetoric alone,” he added.