FORMER MANILA mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso secured a dominant lead in the latest survey on the preferred candidate for chief executive of the capital city.
Domagoso emerged as the most preferred mayoral bet, with more than half of respondents or 67% choosing him in the latest OCTA Research survey, which asked participants the candidate they would vote for as city mayor if the May elections were held at the time of the polling.
Domagoso bested 10 other contenders although the survey results reflected a decline from his previous scores in the first and second quarter.
Tutok To Win party-list Rep. Sam Verzosa was a far second placer with 16% while incumbent Manila mayor Honey Lacuna, Moreno’s former running mate, closely followed with 15%.
Both Verzosa and Lacuna saw increases in their scores compared to the January survey, where they got 15% and 9%, respectively.
Actor Raymond Bagatsing obtained 1%, while the rest of the respondents answered “I don’t know.” The rest of the candidates received a score of zero.
Domagoso served as mayor of the capital city from 2019 to 2022, with Lacuna as his vice mayor under the Asenso Manileño party. During his term, Domagoso focused on infrastructure projects such as vertical housing and urban renewal. He ran for president in 2022 but lost.
Lacuna, the first female mayor of Manila, prioritized healthcare programs during her administration, including modernizing health facilities and community outreach initiatives.
An alumna of UST, Lacuna implemented a controversial health permit ordinance that required all employees, including academic and non-academic personnel, working in Manila to undergo medical procedures every year. The ordinance was approved during the time of Domagoso.
Following a slew of criticisms from workers who called the ordinance “unfair” and “financially burdensome,” the Manila Health Department relaxed the policy by no longer requiring employees to take health examinations in the city government’s health facility and by reducing the permit cost from P625 to P365.
Domagoso, who signed the health permit ordinance during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, vowed to amend the policy if he is reelected to make it attuned to “present needs.” Verzosa declined to comment on the health certificate policy, saying he did not want to get involved in a political dispute.
READ: Isko vows amendments to health permit policy as he seeks to reclaim Manila mayoral post
READ: Manila mayor leaves fate of health permit ordinance to city council
Domagoso had promised to retire from politics if he loses in the 2022 presidential race. He has changed his mind and is now challenging Lacuna for the mayoral post in this year’s elections.
Domagoso vowed to “clean” Manila, revitalize its infrastructure and improve public services. Meanwhile, Lacuna plans to sustain social amelioration programs, including benefits for senior citizens, create jobs and ensure vendor protection.
Verzosa said his top priorities would be aiding vulnerable sectors, improving healthcare and providing livelihood opportunities.
The mayoral candidates kicked off their respective campaigns on March 28 through city-wide proclamation rallies.
Conducted from March 2 to 6, the OCTA Research survey had 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above. To ensure a representative sample, barangays in Manila were selected randomly and interval sampling was used to identify households.
From each household, a respondent was selected using a probability selection table to ensure the sample accurately represented the population. The survey used a margin of error of ±3%.
Founded in 2019, OCTA Research is a public opinion polling that became known for its monitoring and analysis of the global pandemic. F — Anna Victoria Asuncion
