Considering that his patroness Gloria M. Arroyo is whacked by negative approval ratings of 30%, the performance rating per HNU Survey of Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado is sort of remarkable.

The survey showed Gov. Aumentado improve his +62% approval rating last year to +71% this year. A leap of additional faith of +9%. His strong points came in at +41% approval for tourism handling and +40% for environment concerns.

One can fault the Governor for other things but lack of industry will not be one of them. Despite his sometimes failing health and open threat to his life through a volley of gunfire weeks before the 2004 elections, the governor has been a live wire working machine - the dawn to dusk type - that have concerned friends gasping to catch for breath and concerned how long he can last the punishing pace.

But such is the work ethics of an early orphaned kid who put himself through school and on top of Bohol politics by sheer hard work and dogged determination. In tourism, doubtless, he is the prime "salesman" who pitches for tourists and investors alike in varied sales blitz and goodwill missions abroad. He left yesterday to head a 40-man mission for a sisterhood pact with Jiangxi China, see the point?

"Public satisfaction" has been lodged for the Governor's Office according to the HNU Survey where 11% of the 23% who visited the Guv's Office walked out satisfied with the services rendered. The perception is that there are less signs of corruption or bribery in the provincial government.

The Chronicle has been the vanguard of the Fourth Estate in exposing corruption in our midst. Lately, there has been no major exposes though the lingering doubts about the outcome of the shameful multi-billion Talibon Irrigation Dam Scam cannot be erased from the memory by surveys. It is a corruption issue which will be revived from the archives if the Ombudsman keeps on sitting on its ass on the prima facie evidence so discovered.

Most of the agencies perceived to be corrupt are aligned to national head offices rather than linked directly with the provincial Capitol. However, many jaded observers know that the usual "SOP" in government jobs has not ebbed but is largely hard to document. Or the wily officials and the conniving private sector allies are getting more cunning in hiding their tracks. However, we cannot contradict surveys because in political governance, perception is indeed reality.
Kudos to Governor Rico and the provincial government!

PERFORMING MAYOR

Tagbilaran City appears just as lucky as the same surveys says Mayor Dan Lim, in his first term after a series of election debacles, is perceived by 60% of the respondents to be better than the previous administration.

It is important for Mayor Dan to transfix the city into real gateway to the island paradise for tourists and investors alike. He has done so with a solid flexing of muscles particularly on the drug menace - a dramatic move that netted big-time drug pushers, including one who is Lim's political supporter. Duty first before friendship, the Mayor seemed to send that message.

The peace and quiet of the metropolis is non-negotiable - it cannot be compromised if we are to be a Rest and Recreation City that we are trying to be. On that score, Mayor Dan seemed to have passed the test.

He had shown political will be dislodging "casuals" from the payroll list to balance his budget despite the obvious political backlash that would have created. Aside from that, Lim is perceived to be a consensus builder - by transforming his non-politically allied Sangguniang Panlungsod and Vice Mayor Nuevas Tirol Montes (a political opposite) into his comrades in the race against time to put progress into the city streets. An excellent political acrobat, the Mayor is.

If Mayor Lim finishes his "Business Center" in lieu of the eyesore that is the former Agora market before his term ends, he will have a "diploma" to wave around for a major infrastructure achievement. Mr. Mayor, you've got 11 months to "do it" what the Torralba administration had failed to do. The "Big Bug" modern sports and convention center remains a pipe dream for now as the lot acquisition and the road networks are not yet in firm place today.

But one out of the two should placate performance watchers.

OTHERS

One town, Ubay, has been - however - a sore thumb sticking out among the other towns for its record of corruption and bribery in the eyes of the public. The municipal hall and the tanod outpost of the same town do not have pleasant reputation in terms of transparency. The vigilant local tax payers are watching the acquisition of a huge loan to allegedly acquire heavy equipment with the standard "SOP"' dangled before the altar of greed. We hope Mayor Eutiquio Bernales will prove the perception wrong as monitored by our sister radio station in Ubay dyZD.

The other has to be the LTO City office where the "fixers" continue to propagate like germs in heat under the nose (or blind approval) of LTO Chief Macky Getureulas? Gentlemen, let's get the fixers out - it's easy to do if you really want to, don't you think?

But for Governor Erico and Mayor Dan, maintain that perception!