RESEARCHERS from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines paid a courtesy visit to Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma. Regis “Vico” Sotto to discuss their pioneering study on trust and governance in Philippine cities.

The study, “Tiwala at Pagsunod Project,” aims to examine the dynamics of trust and compliance in governance across Pasig City, Naga City, and Davao City.

The researchers hope to provide insights into culturally grounded trust-based governance in urban Philippine settings.

“Trust varies in different settings, depending on the respondents. Some people like me, some don’t,” Mayor Sotto remarked, adding that there are subtle and indirect ways to build trust and strengthen community engagement.

The TAP Project is a university-funded initiative under PUP’s Research Institute for Culture and Language, led by Prof. Joseph Reylan Viray.

The research team is headed by Dr. Karl Patrick Mendoza of the Department of Communication Research, alongside Emy Ruth Gianan from the Department of Economics and student research assistants Angelou Pucayan, Benedict Taberdo, and Brayan Paul Buten.

The project is being conducted in three phases, with Pasig City as the first study site beginning in January 2025. The succeeding phases will explore Naga City in 2026 and Davao City in 2027.