Arya News - The country ranked ahead of only Cambodia and Laos in the region. Malaysia placed 40th, Indonesia 48th, Vietnam 49th and Thailand 58th, while Singapore topped the global rankings.
MANILA – The Philippines ranked 59th out of 133 governments in the 2026 Chandler Good Government Index, placing sixth among eight Southeast Asian countries covered by the global assessment.
The country ranked ahead of only Cambodia and Laos in the region. Malaysia placed 40th, Indonesia 48th, Vietnam 49th and Thailand 58th, while Singapore topped the global rankings.
The index evaluates governments using 35 equally weighted indicators across seven pillars: Leadership and Foresight, Robust Laws and Policies, Strong Institutions, Financial Stewardship, Attractive Marketplace, Global Influence and Reputation, and Helping People Rise.
“The country generally trails its stronger regional peers across the index’s seven dimensions of good governance, although its performance is uneven,” said Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and an Inquirer data scientist.
Financial management a relative strength
The Philippines’ strongest showing was in Financial Stewardship, where it ranked 32nd globally.
“Surprisingly, the strongest area appears to be in Financial Stewardship, which measures how effectively public finances are managed,” Panao said.
The country also ranked relatively well in Strong Institutions, placing 53rd, followed by Leadership and Foresight at 57th and Robust Laws and Policies at 59th.
Panao, however, noted that the stronger showing in financial stewardship did not extend to investment conditions.
“This notwithstanding, the Philippines ranks 67th in Attractive Marketplace, which assesses the conditions for investment and economic activity,” he said.
The country ranked 65th in Helping People Rise, which measures the government’s contribution to improving people’s social and economic opportunities, and 75th in Global Influence and Reputation, which looks at international standing and influence.
Panao noted that the Philippines’ score in Helping People Rise improved slightly from last year, although it remained ranked 65th in the area.
Vietnam posts biggest regional improvement
The Philippines also trailed Vietnam, which recorded the largest overall improvement in the Asia-Pacific region since the index began.
“Vietnam recorded the largest overall improvement in Asia Pacific since the index began, moving from 58th to 49th globally and improving in six of the seven pillars,” Panao said.
Vietnam ranked 34th in Attractive Marketplace, well ahead of the Philippines at 67th. Indonesia also ranked higher than the Philippines in the area, at 47th.
In Global Influence and Reputation, Indonesia ranked 65th, compared with the Philippines’ 75th.
The Chandler Governance Group, which produces the index, found broad-based improvement in government performance in the 2026 edition, with the global average reaching its highest level since 2022. Singapore remained No. 1 for the fourth consecutive year.