Confident of victory, Kusug-Panaghiusa kicks off campaign with mass, march to City Hall

Local

THE local campaign period for the May 2025 elections officially began on Friday, March 28, with the Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Kusug)-Panaghiusa coalition kicking off its campaign with an Eucharistic mass and a march to City Hall.

Led by incumbent Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, the event started with a mass at 8 a.m. and was followed by a handshaking activity with city employees at the Cebu City Hall.

Garcia, joined by his supporters and families, emphasized unity and confidence as he addressed the crowd.

“Forty-five days nalang, gamay nalang adlaw nga ihap padung sa atong kadaugan,” he said.

According to Garcia, the coalition’s colors — red and purple — symbolize strength, unity, and victory.

Garcia said these colors reflect the coalition’s commitment to leadership and dedication to public service, uniting the symbolism of celebration and progress as they push forward in the campaign.

“Kung tan-awon ninyo, color red ug color purple ang color of the year. Gani, pag-celebrate sa Women’s Month kay purple, ug ang red kay very significant — color sa Pasko, Valentines, birthday, Sinulog. Didto sa Amerika, bag-o lang nidaog si Trump nga puwa pod ang color. Ultimately, ang color red ug purple — color sa kadaogan,” he said.

He also thanked his supporters for their strong turnout, despite the sweltering heat, and compared it to what he described as the lackluster attendance of other political parties.

“Pasalamat sa supporters for coming out, braving the heat. Nagsugod ta sa misa ganiha buntag, unya nanglakaw ta diri sa City Hall. Nakita nato ang mainit nga suporta gikan sa tagsa-tagsa ka barangay, ug itandi sa uban partido — pagka-mingaw sa ilaha, pagka-aligre sa atoa,” he said.

Moreover, Garcia highlighted his administration’s accomplishments, particularly the newly launched housing program, which he described as a flagship project aimed at providing affordable and decent housing for the city’s residents.

“We have seen what we have done. Daghan kaayo tag na-accomplish. The latest was yesterday — nagsugod na gyud ang housing program. It is something that will be a flagship program of this administration. And daghan pa kaayo tag nabuhat. What more can we do as a party in nine years?” he added.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayoral candidate and campaign manager Joey Daluz III said he is confident about the campaign’s progress.

He said that their team has been actively engaging the public since June last year and that they are confident in securing victory.

“I am excited because this is the official campaign period, and we have 45 days to go. We are very confident that we are able to finish this campaign and, hopefully, we will be able to win this election,” Daluz said.

He added that their internal surveys have shown promising results, attributing the coalition’s growing popularity to Garcia’s performance in City Hall.

“We have been campaigning for almost a year now. Nindot ra ang dagan. Our surveys are very good and promising kaayo. You can also see that Mayor Garcia, bisan dili mani iyang termino, but he is doing very well in City Hall. I am seeing a very good result in favor of the Kusug-Panaghiusa coalition,” he said.

Daluz also urged the public to respect one another’s political choices and emphasized that the coalition remains committed to demonstrating strong leadership and dedication throughout the campaign period.

The Kusug-Panaghiusa coalition is fielding a full slate for the upcoming elections in Cebu City. Raymond Garcia is running for mayor, with Joey Daluz III as his vice mayoral candidate.

In the North District, Cutie Del Mar is vying for the congressional seat, while the councilor lineup includes Glena Bontuyan, Pastor Jun Alcover, Harold Go, RJ Osmeña, Winston Pepito, Jaypee Labella, Aileen Guardo, and Joel Garganera.

Meanwhile, in the South District, the candidates for councilor are James Cuenco, Jun-Jun Osmeña, Eugene Labella, Dave Tumulak, Rey Gealon, Pie Abella, Jeson Guardo, and Opel Abellanosa.

The Kusug-Panaghiusa coalition is one of the local parties running in Cebu City. Among them are Partido Barug–Team Rama–Bag-ong Sugbo, led by former mayor Michael Rama; Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, represented by mayoral candidate and councilor Nestor Archival Sr.; and Partido Cebuano, led by former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA-7) regional director Yogi Filemon Ruiz.(TGP)