Cebu City’s ‘Mayor of the Night’ gets green light

Local

CEBU CITY will soon have government services that run even after dark.

Mayor Nestor Archival has signed Executive Order No. 027, Series of 2025, formally launching the “Cebu City 24/7 Government Services (Mayor of the Night)” — a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to make essential public services accessible to night-shift workers and residents outside regular office hours.

The newly signed order institutionalizes the concept earlier proposed by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, which seeks to establish a one-stop service hub operating at night, initially to be piloted in or near Cebu I.T. Park in Barangay Lahug, the heart of Cebu’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Archival said the program is rooted in inclusive governance, ensuring that thousands of Cebuanos working late hours, from call center agents and nurses to drivers and security guards, can access basic city services without having to adjust to traditional office schedules.

Under the order, the “Mayor of the Night” will operate as a pilot project for at least two years but not beyond the current administration’s term.

The facility will house both local and national government offices, offering selected frontline services such as business permits, cedulas, medical clearances, civil registry documents, and more.

The following city departments are expected to join the initial rollout:

Office of the City Treasurer

Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO)

City Health Department

City Civil Registrar

National agencies such as the Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG Fund, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), NBI, PSA, PhilPost, and LTO are also being invited to participate, creating a centralized “one-stop shop” for transactions commonly sought by employees working the night shift.

The program designates Vice Mayor Osmeña to oversee and coordinate implementation efforts, under the authority of the city mayor, with provisions for forming committees and assigning personnel to ensure smooth operation and evaluation.

Funding will be sourced from the city’s available funds or through supplemental appropriations, while partnerships with private sector stakeholders, including BPO firms and commercial property administrators, are encouraged to support the center’s establishment and maintenance.

The “Mayor of the Night” initiative, while now formally institutionalized, has faced political scrutiny in recent months.

Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. earlier questioned a P12.5-million rental proposal for office space intended for the program, arguing that the council has yet to officially approve its implementation.

“Una gyud unta nga i-resolve namo ani kung mouyon ba ang konseho nga dunay ‘Mayor of the Night’ nga programa,” Alcover said, stressing that no clear agreements had been made with national agencies to staff the night-shift office.

He also labeled the move “usik-usik sa kwarta” (a waste of money), saying it was premature to lease an office before confirming agency participation.

During the council’s session last month, members referred the P12.5-million proposal — which covers a three-year lease from 2026 to 2028 — to the Committee on Budget and Finance for review.

Osmeña, however, defended the plan, saying the office space would serve as a practical base for extending city services to over 200,000 night-shift workers in Cebu.

Archival has repeatedly dismissed allegations that the program is unconstitutional, emphasizing that it is not about creating a separate mayoral position but about providing continuous government service.

“Kining ‘Mayor of the Night’ is a project. It’s not nga si Tommy gyud ang mayor,” Archival clarified earlier. “They should understand this is not for Tommy, not for the government alone, but for everybody.”

He said the initiative reflects the city’s commitment to supporting Cebu’s BPO-driven economy, describing it as an investment in the workforce that helps sustain local growth.

“We are focusing on helping the people who contribute to Cebu’s economy. That’s the main thought,” Archival added.

Osmeña has likewise maintained that the term “Mayor of the Night” is purely symbolic — a way to highlight extended governance, not a new position.

“Mayor of the Night is not an official post. It’s a service concept to make government accessible 24 hours a day,” Osmeña said in earlier interviews. “When the mayor is resting, the vice mayor oversees operations — like a co-captain running the ship.”

Osmeña said several national agencies have already expressed interest in participating and that the initiative would make Cebu City the first local government in the Philippines to offer round-the-clock government services.(TGP)