Local elections were held in Cebu City on May 12, 2025, as part of the 2025 Philippine general election. Registered voters of the city elected a mayor, a vice mayor, district representatives, and councilors. Both the mayor and the vice mayor are elected via a first-past-the-post electoral system. On the other hand, the legislative branches include the two district representatives of Cebu City, electing one district representative with 8 councilors. The officials elected will assume their respective offices on June 30, 2025, for a three-year term.
Cebu City councilor and minority leader Nestor Archival won the election, garnering 256,197 votes, defeating incumbent mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, former mayor Mike Rama, and two other candidates.[1][2] Rama has served as a mayor for over 9 years, having been first elected into the position in 2010 to 2016, and served again in 2021 after the death of mayor Edgar Labella.
In 2021, after the death of former mayor Edgar Labella, then-vice mayor Michael Rama was assumed to his old post again as mayor.[5] He would later again re-run for the mayorship, partnering with Cebu City councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia as his running mate, whom Rama competed against in the 2007 local elections for the vice-mayor post.[6][7][8] Rama would later be reelected in the 2022 elections, giving him a full 3-year term along with his running mate Raymond Alvin Garcia.[9]
In October 2024, months before the end of his term, Rama would later be suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman after he was found guilty of nepotism after employing his brother-in-law's as casual employees of the Cebu City Hall.[10][11] Rama would later be disqualified from holding public office due to the nepotism case, thereby then-vice mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia assuming the mayorship[12] and Cebu City councilor Dondon Hontiveros later assuming the vice-mayor post.[13][14][15]
Despite his disqualification and suspension as mayor, Rama still opted to seek re-election, with Dondon Hontiveros as his running mate.[16] Meanwhile, then-mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia also opted to rerun for the mayor post, choosing former Metro Cebu Water District chairman Joey Daluz as his vice-mayoral candidate.[17] Then-Cebu City councilor Nestor Archival also filed his candidacy for mayor, with former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña as his running mate.[18][19]
Incumbent Rachel del Mar (Nationalist People's Coalition) ran for a second term. She was previously elected in 2022 with 45.99% of the vote and a 50,350 vote (20.65%) margin over her closest opponent.
Del Mar ran against three other candidates, including Cebu City councilor Mary Ann de los Santos (BOPK-Liberal) and Cebu City Liga ng mga Barangay president Franklyn Ong (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino).[20][21][22] Both Del Mar and Ong ran under BOPK in the previous elections, with Del Mar defecting from her late father Raul's longtime party (BOPK), in favor of incumbent mayor Garcia's Kugi Uswag Sugbo.[20]
Del Mar won re-election, albeit with a decreased margin of 23,876 votes (9.56%), over second-placer Ong.[4]
Incumbent Eduardo "Edu" Rama Jr. (Lakas–CMD) ran for a second term. He was first elected in 2022 under PDP–Laban with 54.43% of the vote and a 25,615 vote (8.78%) margin over opponent BG Rodrigo Abellanosa, Rodrigo Abellanosa's son.
Cebu City's 1st councilor district consists of the same area as Cebu City's 1st legislative district. Eight councilors are elected from this councilor district.
Cebu City's 2nd councilor district consists of the same area as Cebu City's 2nd legislative district. Eight councilors are elected from this councilor district.
↑ Padronia, Earl Kim; Seblos, John Paul; Cordis, Denis Mae P.; Virador, Cherry Ann; Veloso, Arvie N. (2024-10-08). "Gwen, Raymond among last day filers". SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
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