(Dipolog City)-To determine the level of appreciation of various stakeholders and the usefulness of the Citizen Satisfaction Index System (CSIS) data, utilization conference on the 2013 results was conducted in Dipolog City in the presence of concerned local chief executives, sanggunian members, department heads, local Civil Society Organization (CSO) representatives and academe partners.

 

     In his opening remarks, DILG Assistant Regional Director Pedro G. Cuevas Jr. said that any institution whether government or private, the ultimate goal is to provide its clients the best service possible. Performance is not simply measured by the numbers. The real essence is defined and determined by the level of client satisfaction for the services these institutions provide. Therefore, the satisfaction of the citizens is the ultimate fulfillment of any government organization’s business of delivering public services.

 

    “The CSIS is a helpful tool to gather citizen’s feedback on local governments’ performance on service delivery and the citizens’ general satisfaction. Indeed, the ultimate fulfillment of any government business is citizen satisfaction in order to generate solid and factual results, citizen’s feedback is indispensable.”ARD Cuevas added. 

 

    “For 2013, 34 priority cities based on the National Competitive Council’s list of top 50 competitive cities and provinces included in the National Budget Memorandum (NBM) 118 are covered by the CSIS implementation. In the case of Region IX, Dipolog City was chosen as pilot LGU for 2013 with Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU) as the implementing partner.” ARD Cuevas added.

 

    “Hence, this Utilization (exit) Conference is a venue for the end-user to discuss and determine the level of appreciation of the various stakeholders and usefulness of the data based on the CSIS 2013 generated results,” ARD Cuevas said.

 

    For her part, Hon. Evelyn T. Uy, City Mayor of Dipolog City said that the CSIS is indeed challenging activity given to the city as the piloted city in the region.

 

    “First, we are quite apprehensive but on the other hand we are also enthusiastic on how we can improve based on its result .Indeed, I made it compulsory the presence of all department heads so that they will give their reactions on whatever the result may be. We know that the results can be translated to make our service more meaningful and timely for the needs of the people.” Hon. City mayor Uy said.

 

    Meanwhile, Dr. Maria Rio A. Naguit, System Research Director of Jose Rizal Memorial State University, the partner Local Resource Institute of the Department, emphasized that it’s their hope that the findings and results of the study will serve as a gauge and motivation of the LGU to improve more in their services and delivery performances to the people of Dipolog City because ideally, it is for the people, of the people and by the people that the local government unit exists.”

 

    Presented the result of the survey on , CSIS Focal Person Russell Jef Castaneda from Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS) said to the local functionaries that the tool employs an analytical framework which measured the LGUs in terms of awareness, availment and assessment of their programs.

    “In terms of appreciation of the results, do not be saddened if the awareness and availment rating is low because this is just the general perception of a one regular citizen regardless of availing the services at least they are aware. However, the overall result with regards to the attitude of citizens towards LGU shows a very high net score of 83.75% which means that the citizens are prepared to join local government in improving the quality of life in the locality. With regards to the citizens preparedness in coordinating with local officials is also at very high percentage.” Castaneda added.

 

    In response, City Mayor Uy urged the different departments to inform the City Information Office (CIO) of their services and operations in order that the Information Office can also inform the public.

 

    “We have seen that the weakest point of our city government is the awareness and maybe after six (6) months it will change, I hope. And so let us all work together to achieve this while maintaining also the satisfaction that our people have on us.” she said in closing.

 

   Remarkably, the result was generated from a survey conducted on December 11-19, 2013 to 150 respondents from 16 barangays of Dipolog City.

 

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