CEBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) – Cebu’s business leaders gave Benigno S. Aquino III a modest but passing grade in his first year as president.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Samuel Chioson said he rated Aquino’s performance at 75 percent to 77 percent for being a good leader who encouraged transparency and a policy of no corruption.

Chioson said local businessmen saw the President as a good example for people under him.

Chioson said he gave a modest rating because the President hasn’t acted yet on the Cebu business sector’s wish list of P4.4 billion worth of infrastructure projects which they submitted to the President during his visit to Cebu last year.

Chioson said the President promised to look into the priority projects for Cebu that will need funds from the government.

He said the proposed projects have not been acted upon and local businessmen were hopeful that Aquino would start implementing the projects after a year and a half into his term.

The projects include improvement of drainage, road widening, and the rehabilitation of roads and the first Mactan-Mandaue Bridge.

Chioson said business groups in Cebu remained optimistic especially with the administration’s thrust towards Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to implement projects.

Cebu Business Club president Gordon Alan “Dondi” Joseph said he would give Aquino a passing grade as well.

But Joseph said his group would ask the President to start performing instead of blaming the previous administration.

He rated Aquino’s performance as average.

He said no one has been prosecuted in his anti-corruption drive and he saw no progress in his PPP programs.

But he said they are going to give the President a chance.

Joseph said that while corruption in the past should be investigated, he said it’s also time for the President to move forward.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol, gave President Aquino a perfect 10 for battling corruption since he assumed the presidency.

Apostol, who is one of the nominees for the next Ombudsman at the Judicial Bar Council, praised Aquino as the only president with the heart and integrity to fight corruption.