Abstract
This study examined the level of performance in local governance and the degree of effectiveness in service delivery of local government officials in Masbate Province, Philippines, addressing the limited number of studies that jointly assess governance performance, service delivery effectiveness, and official performance ratings among municipalities within a single island province. Using a descriptive-correlational design with a complementary qualitative component, the study surveyed 32 randomly selected elected officials — Mayors, Vice-Mayors, and Sangguniang Bayan members — from Masbate City and the municipalities of Dimasalang and Palanas, selected through systematic sampling after the local government units were arranged according to income classification. Data were gathered using a researcher-developed questionnaire adapted from an established local governance rating scale, validated by a panel of experts and found highly reliable (reliability coefficient = .89), supplemented by a focus group discussion with members of the Sangguniang Bayan. Frequency and percentage distribution, weighted mean, chi-square test, Pearson r, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results showed that local governance performance and service delivery effectiveness were both rated high to much effective across all measured domains, with age, sex, and educational attainment significantly associated with governance performance, and civil status, length of service, and number of constituents significantly associated with official performance ratings. Governance performance was significantly and strongly correlated with service delivery effectiveness and with official performance ratings, and significant differences in governance performance and in most service delivery domains were observed among municipalities. Limited financial resources, low compensation, restricted partnerships, and shortages of technical personnel emerged as key constraints. These findings informed a proposed action plan addressing permitting efficiency, investment incentives, agri-tourism promotion, partnership-building, and workforce development, offering local government units in Masbate Province an evidence-based framework for strengthening governance and public service delivery.