MINERVA BC NEWMAN
CEBU CITY – The Commission on Election (COMELEC) through the Board of Canvassers (BOC) proclaimed Engr. Nestor Archival, Sr. and Tomas Osmena as the new mayor and vice-mayor of Cebu City respectively on May 13 at the Cebu City Hall Social Hall with Archival garnering 256,197 and Osmena with 233,906 votes.
Archival’s votes surpassed his opponents, outgoing Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and aspirant Yogi Ruiz, who conceded and congratulated him, few hours after 84.52 percent voter turnout, with 606,789 out of 721,469 registered voters casting their ballots and completed the canvassing of all 790 clustered precincts in Cebu City.
In a press conference after the proclamation, Archival vowed to implement free hospitalization for all Cebu City residents and introduce sustainable employment opportunities for vulnerable groups, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and single parents.
He promised to increase Cebu City’s revenue to P12 billion without raising taxes, focusing on improving tax collection efficiency to generate more funds for key government services. Education, healthcare, and social welfare are his top priorities, including expediting the completion of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) and providing financial assistance to vulnerable sectors.
“As a longtime city councilor and with my experiences in policy making and budgeting gives me an edge in managing effectively Cebu City’s resources,” Archival said.
Vice-Mayor elect Tommy Osmena on the other hand accepted the BOPK win ahead of the proclamation on Monday night. “Believe it or not, the real hard part is coming. Now it lies upon Nestor and myself to fulfill the duty entrusted to us; to show that BOPK makes not empty promises, but guarantees,” he said.
According to Osmena, the duties and tasks ahead will be hard, tiring, but they can de done. Together with everyone invested in this beautiful City, he said, “We will make Cebu City #1 again!”
Archival’s win marks a significant shift in Cebu City politics, with his administration expected to prioritize the welfare of its residents.
