Mayor of Cebu City

The Mayor of Cebu City (Cebuano: Punong Dakbayan sa Sugbo) is the chief executive of the government of Cebu City in the Philippines. The mayor leads the city's departments in executing ordinances and delivering public services. The mayorship is a three-year term and each mayor is restricted to three consecutive terms, totaling nine years, although a mayor can be elected again after an interruption of one term.^[3]

Mayor of Cebu City
Tagalog: Punong Lungsod ng Cebu Cebuano: Punong Dakbayan sa Sugbo
Seal of the Mayor of Cebu City
Incumbent Nestor Archival since June 30, 2025
Style	The Honorable
Seat	Cebu City Hall
Appointer	Elected via popular vote
Term length	3 years, renewable twice consecutively
Inaugural holder	Mariano Jesús Cuenco
Formation	1936[1]
Succession	Vice Mayor then Highest ranking Sangguniang Panlungsod member
Deputy	Vice Mayor
Salary	₱204,054 per month (2021)[2]

The current mayor is Nestor D. Archival Sr. of Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), who was elected in 2025 with an upset victory over incumbent mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia (KUSUG) and their predecessor former mayor Michael Rama (BARUG).^[4] Archival took his ceremonial oath of office on June 26, 2025 and officially began his term on June 30.^[5]

History

Commonwealth Act No. 38 or the Charter of the City of Cebu, signed on October 20, 1936 and officially inaugurated on February 24, 1937, created the post of City Mayor which shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the approval of the Commission on Appointments. President Manuel Quezon appointed Alfredo V. Jacinto of Gapan, Nueva Ecija.^[6][7]

Born on March 23, 1891, Jacinto was not a Cebuano. His first assignment outside of Nueva Ecija was in Manila to become Chief Clerk of the Treasurer's Office of Malolos, Bulacan. Jacinto was transferred to Leyte and then to Pangasinan. In March 1930, he was sent to Cebu after his last assignment in Luzon in La Union. Before he was appointed as City Mayor, he was Provincial Treasurer of Cebu. He resigned from the position on December 31, 1936.^[6]

Jacinto took his oath of office at Malacañang Palace before Elpidio Quirino, the Secretary of the Interior on January 7, 1937. Along with him, the following city councilors were sworn into office by Secretary Quirino namely, Manuel Roa (the first President of the Municipal Board), Regino Mercado, Felipe Pacaña, Jose Fortich, Diego Canizares, Jose P. Nolasco, Leandro A. Tojong and Dominador J. Abella.^[8]

The next to be appointed was Vicente Rama who served as city mayor from 1938 to 1940. When World War II erupted, Rama sought refuge in Carcar where he was appointed as wartime mayor by the Imperial Japanese Army.

A year before the war, Jose Delgado was appointed as city mayor from 1940 to 1942. Delgado also became governor of Cebu from 1943 to 1944. Next in line was Juan Cerilles Zamora.

Then there was Dr. Leandro Tojong of Ginatilan, Cebu, followed by another doctor, Nicolas Escario of Bantayan, Cebu, followed by lawyer Vicente S. del Rosario, then Dr. Luis Espina, Miguel Raffiñan, Pedro Elizalde, Dr. Jose V. Rodriguez, and Pedro Clavano, all of which were appointed by the president.

On June 7, 1955, the Cebu City Charter was amended by Republic Act No. 1233.^[9] The first election for City mayor was held on November 8, 1955 together with the 1955 senatorial elections. The first to be elected as city mayor was Sergio Osmeña Jr. together with his vice mayor Ramon Duterte.^[7]

Salary

As of 2021, the mayor is paid a monthly salary of ₱204,054 based on the second tranche of the Salary Standardization Law of 2019 signed on January 8, 2020 by President Rodrigo Duterte^[2] with the position being classified under salary grade 30.^[10]

List

Municipality of Cebu

This is the list of municipal presidents of Cebu:^[11]

No.	Image	President (birth–death)	Party[a]		Term	Vice President
1		Florentino Cuico Rallos 1860–1912 (aged 51-52) [12]		Independent Nacionalista after 1907	1901 – 1903	Agapito Hilario
					1903 – 1905	Filemon Yap Sotto Nacionalista
2		Celestino Lasala Rodriguez 1872–1955 (aged 82-83)		Independent Nacionalista (from 1907)	1905 – 1907	Luciano Abellana Bacayo
3		Luciano Abellana Bacayo c. 1873–? [13]			1907 – 1908	Raimundo Bracamonte Enriquez [14]
4		Martin Pantaleon Llorente c.1868–1916 (aged ~48) [15]		Federalista	1908 – 1909	Francisco Arias Nacionalista [12]
5		Melchor Gonzalez c. 1873–1950?			1909 – 1910	Pedro Abarca
6		Vicente L. Teves			1910 – 1913	Gregorio Abendan
7		Arsenio Veloso Climaco 1870–1952 (aged 82)			1913 – 1916	Fructuoso Rodis Ramos Nacionalista
8		Fructuoso Rodis Ramos 1869–1949 (aged 80) [16]		Nacionalista	1916 – 1920	Rufino Lauron
					1920 – 1922	Pedro Abella
9		Hilario Hermosa Abellana 1896–1945 (aged 48)		Democrata	1922 – 1925	Julian Lochallan Alcantara
					1925 – 1928	Alberto Mansueto
					1928 – 1931	Regino Mercado
(8)		Fructuoso Rodis Ramos 1869–1949 (aged 80) [16]		Nacionalista	1931 – 1934	Jose Fortich Democrata [17]
					1934 – 1937	Julian Lochallan Alcantara
						Marcos Miranda Morelos
10		Mariano Jesus Diosomito Cuenco1 1888–1964 (aged 76)		Nacionalista	November 28, 1936 – December 1, 1936[b]	None[b]

Notes

1. From 1900 to 1907, Philippine politics was dominated by the Federalistas. It was supplanted by the two-party system that emerged in 1907 between the dominant Nacionalista Party and its opposition, the Progresistas and later the Democratas.
2. Cuenco only served for 3 days as Cebu Municipal President before being appointed Secretary of Public Works and Communications by President Manuel L. Quezon.

City of Cebu

This is the list of mayors of Cebu City:^[18]

No.[a]	Image	Mayor Lifespan	Party[b]		Term	Vice Mayor Party
Appointive position (1936–1955)
1		Alfredo V. Jacinto2 1891–1973		Independent	January 7, 1937 – November 26, 1938	—
2		Vicente Rama 1887–1956 (aged 69)		Nacionalista	November 26, 1938 – August 2, 1940	—
3		Jose Delgado [19]		KALIBAPI	August 3, 1940 – April 10, 1942	—
4		Juan Cerilles Zamora 1906–1966 (aged 59-60) [19]		KALIBAPI	1942 – 1944	—
5		Leandro Aballe Tojong 1905–1980 (aged 75)		Liberal	1945 – 1945	—
6		Nicolas Gandionco Escario 1898–1958 (aged 59)		Liberal	1945 – 1946	—
7		Vicente Stuart del Rosario 1905–1987 (aged 81-82) [20]			1946 – 1947	—
8		Luis Veloso Espina			May 27, 1947 – September 5, 1947	—
9		Miguel Garces Raffiñan 1891–?		Nacionalista	September 6, 1947 – August 15, 1951		Arsenio R. Villanueva [21]
							Florentino D. Tecson [22]
10		Pedro Bernal Elizalde 1890–1981 (aged 90-91) [23]			August 18, 1951 – July 23, 1952		Arsenio R. Villanueva [21]
(7)		Vicente Stuart del Rosario 1905–1987 (aged 81-82) [20]			April 9, 1953 – December 6, 1953		Carlos Jurado Cuizon Liberal [24]
11		Jose Chiong Veloso Rodriguez 1906–?		Nacionalista	December 7, 1953 – November 16, 1955
							Florentino D. Tecson [22]
12		Pedro B. Clavano 1907–? [25][26]		Nacionalista	November 17, 1955 – December 30, 1955
Elective position (1956–present)
13		Sergio Veloso Osmeña Jr. 1916–1984 (aged 67) [22][27]		Liberal	December 30, 1955 – September 12, 1957 Elected to Congress		Ramon Gonzales Duterte Liberal
14		Ramon Gonzales Duterte 1901–1971 (aged 69) [22]		Liberal	September 12, 1957 – December 30, 1959		Ramon Abasolo Abellanosa [27]
(13)		Sergio Veloso Osmeña Jr. 1916–1984 (aged 67) [22]		Nacionalista	December 30, 1959 – January 1, 1960 Elected to Congress		Carlos Jurado Cuizon Nacionalista [24]
15		Carlos Jurado Cuizon 1909–1989 (aged 79-80) [24]		Nacionalista	January 1, 1960 – September 18, 1963	—
16		Mario Diez Ortiz 1922–2015 (aged 93)		Nacionalista	September 18, 1963 – December 30, 1963	—
(13)		Sergio Veloso Osmeña Jr. 1916–1984 (aged 67) [22]		Liberal	December 30, 1963 – September 16, 1965 Elected Senator		Carlos Jurado Cuizon Liberal [24]
(15)		Carlos Jurado Cuizon 1909–1989 (aged 79-80) [24]		Liberal	September 16, 1965 – December 30, 1967		Luis Villamor Diores Nacionalista [26]
(13)		Sergio Veloso Osmeña Jr. 1916–1984 (aged 67)		Liberal	December 30, 1967 – January 3, 1968		Eulogio Enriquez Borres Panaghiusa
17		Eulogio Enriquez Borres 1917–2008 (aged 88-89) [22][28]		Panaghiusa	January 3, 1968 – September 13, 1971		John Henry Renner Osmeña Liberal (until December 30, 1969) [29]
18		Florencio S. Urot 1904–1975 (aged 70-71)			September 13, 1971 – December 31, 1971	—
(13)		Sergio Veloso Osmeña Jr. 1916–1984 (aged 67)		Liberal	December 31, 1971 – September 17, 1972 Exiled by the Marcos dictatorship	—
(17)		Eulogio Enriquez Borres 1917–2008 (aged 88-89) [22][28]		Panaghiusa	September 17, 1972 – October 16, 1978	—
19		Florentino Sanico Solon 1931–2020		KBL	October 16, 1978 Appointed by Marcos – 1983		Eulogio Enriquez Borres Panaghiusa
							Ronald Regis Duterte KBL
20		Ronald Regis Duterte3 1934–2016 (aged 86)		KBL	1983 Appointed by Marcos – March 25, 1986 Post-EDSA forced resignation[c]		Vicente Alcazaren Kintanar Jr. KBL
21		John Henry Renner Osmeña3 1935–2021 (aged 86) [30]		Liberal	March 25, 1986 Appointed OIC[c] – March 19, 1987 Resigned to run for Senator[d]		Jose Veloso Cuenco Panaghiusa
22		Jose Veloso Cuenco3 [30]		Panaghiusa	March 19, 1987 Appointed OIC[c] – November 27, 1987 Resigned to run for Mayor[d]		Augusto Wong Go Panaghiusa
23		Antonio Rodriguez Veloso3		Independent	November 27, 1987 Appointed OIC[c] – February 2, 1988 (Presidential Term non-87' Concon)		Joseph Sy Gaisano[c] [31]
24		Tomas dela Rama Osmeña b. (1948-07-26) July 26, 1948 (age 77)		Lakas Local: BOPK	February 2, 1988 (Presidential Term non-87' Concon) – June 30, 1995		Alvin Biaño Garcia Lakas / BOPK
25		Alvin Biaño Garcia b. (1946-06-29) June 29, 1946 (age 79)		PROMDI Local: BOPK	June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2001		Renato Veloso Osmeña Sr. PROMDI → KAMPI BOPK → KUSUG
				KAMPI Local: KUSUG
(24)		Tomas dela Rama Osmeña b. (1948-07-26) July 26, 1948 (age 77)		PROMDI (2001–2004) Lakas (2004–2009) Liberal (2009–2010) Local: BOPK	June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010		Michael Lopez Rama PROMDI → Lakas → Liberal BOPK
26		Michael Lopez Rama b. (1954-10-28) October 28, 1954 (age 70)		Liberal Local: BOPK	June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2013		Joy Augustus Go Young Liberal / BOPK
				UNA Local: Team Rama	June 30, 2013 – December 11, 2015 Suspended[e]		Edgardo Colina Labella UNA / BARUG [32]
—	[e]	Edgardo Colina Labella[e] Acting 1951–2021 (aged 70) [33]		UNA Local: BARUG	December 11, 2015 – February 8, 2016		Nestor Dionson Archival Sr.[e] Acting Liberal / BOPK
(26)		Michael Lopez Rama b. (1954-10-28) October 28, 1954 (age 70) [32][34]		UNA Local: BARUG	February 8, 2016 – May 17, 2016 Suspended		Edgardo Colina Labella UNA / BARUG
—		Margarita Vargas Osmeña[f] Acting b. (1949-07-25) July 25, 1949 (age 76) [35][36]		Liberal Local: BOPK	May 17, 2016 – June 30, 2016		Lea Ouano Japson[f] Acting Liberal / BOPK
(24)		Tomas dela Rama Osmeña b. (1948-07-26) July 26, 1948 (age 77) [37][38]		Liberal (2016–2018) LDP (2018–2019) Local: BOPK	June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2019		Edgardo Colina Labella UNA → PDP-Laban BARUG
27		Edgardo Colina Labella✝ 1951–2021 (aged 70) [32][39]		PDP-Laban Local: BARUG	June 30, 2019 – November 19, 2021 Died in office[g]		Michael Lopez Rama PDP-Laban / BARUG
(26)		Michael Lopez Rama b. (1954-10-28) October 28, 1954 (age 70) [40]		PDP-Laban Local: BARUG	November 20, 2021[g] – June 30, 2022		Donaldo Cabañes Hontiveros PDP-Laban / BARUG
					June 30, 2022 – October 3, 2024[h]		Raymond Alvin Neri Garcia PDP-Laban / KUSUG
28		Raymond Alvin Neri Garcia b. (1977-01-29) January 29, 1977 (age 48) [40][41]		PDP-Laban (2022–2024) PFP (2024–2025) Local: KUSUG	May 8, 2024[h] – June 30, 2025		Donaldo Cabañes Hontiveros PDP-Laban / BARUG
29		Nestor Dionson Archival b. (1958-06-02) June 2, 1958 (age 67) [42][43]		Liberal Local: BOPK	June 30, 2025 – Incumbent		Tomas dela Rama Osmeña Liberal / BOPK

Notes

1. Numbers are counted based on the amount of individuals who have served as Mayor, rather than the amount of terms or administrations. Officials temporarily serving as Acting Mayor due to the absence (e.g. suspension) of the elected mayor, who revert to their original offices afterwards, are not counted.
2. A two-party system between the Nacionalistas and Liberals was in place from the postwar period (1946) up until the Marcos dictatorship, which was dominated by Marcos's Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL). After his overthrow in the 1986 EDSA Revolution, a multi-party system emerged which remains in place until the present; local politics revolves around local alliances, which commonly change national political parties with every new Presidential administration.
3. Following the 1986 EDSA Revolution, President Corazon Aquino forced the resignation of all local government heads and appointed Officers in Charge (OICs) in their place to serve until the 1988 elections.
4. Appointed OICs serving between the 1986 EDSA Revolution and the 1988 elections had to resign from their positions when running for a full term in any elective office, including offices to which held as OICs.
5. Vice Mayor Labella served as Acting Mayor, with Councilor Archival as Acting Vice Mayor, after the Office of the President suspended Mayor Rama for 60 days in 2015 due to illegal demolition of road projects.
6. Councilor Margot Osmeña served as Acting Mayor, while Councilor Lea Ouano Japson served as Acting Vice Mayor, during the suspension of Mayor Rama, Vice Mayor Labella, and 12 other city councilors.
7. Mayor Labella died in office on November 19, 2024 following complications from pneumonia and sepsis. Vice Mayor Mike Rama succeeded as Mayor.
8. Mayor Rama was dismissed from office by the Ombudsman on October 3, 2024 after being suspended since May 8, 2024. Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garia succeeded as Mayor.

Designations

¹ Inaugural Municipal mayor.

² Inaugural City mayor.

³ Officer-in-charge (OIC).

^✝ Died in office.

Timeline of elected city mayors (1986 to present)

Vice Mayor of Cebu City

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña (2025–Present)

The vice mayor is the second-highest official of the city elected via popular vote. Although most mayoral candidates have running mates, the vice mayor is elected separately from the mayor. This can result in the mayor and the vice mayor being elected from different political parties, as was the case most recently in 2016.

Republic Act No. 244, approved on June 12, 1948, provided for the position of vice mayor of the City of Cebu. It was to be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments. The first to be appointed vice mayor by the provisions of R.A. No. 244 was Arsenio Ruiz Villanueva who took his oath of office on July 16, 1948.^[44][45]

One of the most significant amendments to the Charter of the City of Cebu (C.A. No. 58) came with the approval of Republic Act No. 1243 on June 7, 1955. This particular amendment provided for the election at large, by the city's qualified voters in conformity with the provisions of the Revised Election Code, of the city mayor and vice mayor. The first election for city mayor and vice mayor was held during the general election for provincial and municipal officials on November 8, 1955. Chosen as Cebu City's first elected vice mayor was Ramon Gonzales Duterte.^[46]

In the Sangguniang Panlungsod—in this case, the Cebu City Council—the vice mayor serves as its presiding officer and may vote only to break a tie. The vice mayor, as also has the authority to appoint the employees of the council, subject to civil service rules and regulations. In the event of a permanent vacancy in the office of the city mayor before the end of the term, the vice mayor shall assume the office of mayor for the rest of the unexpired term.^[47]

As of 2021, the vice mayor is paid a monthly salary of ₱159,804 based on the second tranche of the Salary Standardization Law of 2019 signed on January 8, 2020 by President Rodrigo Duterte^[2] with the position being classified under Salary Grade 28 for highly urbanized cities like Cebu City.^[10]

Following the death of Mayor Edgardo Labella in 2021 and the Ombudsman's dismissal of Rama from office in 2024, first-ranked councilor Donaldo "Dondon" Hontiveros became the first vice mayor of the city to assume office in two separate terms through succession, rather than election, due to the premature end of the incumbent mayor's term.^[48][49] Hontiveros ran in 2025 for a full term as vice mayor in his own right, but lost.^[50][43]

Current Vice Mayor

The incumbent vice mayor is Tomas "Tommy" R. Osmeña, the founder of BOPK and himself a former mayor from 1988 to 1995, 2001 to 2010, and 2016 to 2019. Osmeña was elected as Archival's running mate in the 2025 elections, defeating incumbent vice mayor Hontiveros (BARUG) and former city councilor and MCWD chairman Jose "Joey" Daluz III (KUSUG-Panaghiusa).^[4][42]

Osmeña, alongside Archival, took his ceremonial oath of office on June 26, 2025 and formally began his term as vice mayor on June 30.^[5]

Elections

• 2001 Cebu City local elections
• 2004 Cebu City local elections
• 2007 Cebu City local elections
• 2010 Cebu City local elections
• 2013 Cebu City local elections
• 2016 Cebu City local elections
• 2019 Cebu City local elections
• 2022 Cebu City local elections
• 2025 Cebu City local elections