Cebu City will soon have ‘City Hall that never sleeps’

Local

CEBU CITY is poised to become the first in the country with a City Hall that never sleeps.

Mayor-elect Nestor Archival Sr., who pulled off a landslide victory in the May 2025 midterm polls, revealed plans to implement a round-the-clock government service system under the concept “Mayor of the Night.”

“This is the only City Hall probably in the whole country that never sleeps,” Archival said in an interview with GMA Regional TV on May 14.

“We designed this for people who work during the day, so they can still access government services at night,” he added.

The idea, which he credited to Vice Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña, is part of the incoming administration’s push to make public services more inclusive and responsive to the needs of Cebuanos.

Archival, a seasoned city councilor and engineer by profession, emphasized that his leadership style will be grounded in the aspirations of the people, not personal agendas.

“The leadership I envision is one that follows the norms and aspirations of the people… We start from what the people think is good, not just what I want,” he said.

He also described his working relationship with Osmeña as a “synergy,” where roles are clearly defined but deeply collaborative.

“Tommy creates the vision, and I’ll execute the actions. We are working in the same direction,” Archival explained.

“We’ll even assign executive functions to councilors. We expect them to work like mayors too. It’s a collaborative government,” he added.

Archival said unifying the City Council will be among his first priorities.

With his years of experience in the council, he believes he already understands the dynamics and personalities involved.

“I’ve been in the council for years. Most of the members aren’t new,” he said.

“My first goal is to harmonize the council because all laws and the budget go through them. I will reach out. If they don’t agree, we’ll still move forward with what we have,” Archival added.

Archival’s victory shocked many observers and signaled a major political shift in Cebu City. He defeated incumbent Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, who received 176,967 votes, and former mayor Michael Rama, who garnered 120,124 votes. Archival secured 256,197 votes, earning a wide mandate from Cebuano voters.

With all 790 clustered precincts counted, the city saw a voter turnout of 84.52 percent, according to Comission on Elections (Comelec).(TGP)