Francis Zamora

Last updated
Keri Neri
(m. 2001)
Francis Zamora
Picture of Franciz Zamora.jpg
19th Mayor of San Juan
Assumed office
June 30, 2019
Relations Pammy Zamora (half-sister)
Bel Zamora (half-sister)
Children4
Parent
ResidenceSan Juan
Alma mater De La Salle University (AB)
University of the Philippines Diliman (MPA)
OccupationPolitician, basketball player
Website franciszamora.com
Basketball career
Personal information
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Career information
High school La Salle Green Hills (Mandaluyong)
College De La Salle
PBA draft 2001: 4th round, 35th overall pick
Selected by the Sta. Lucia Realtors
Playing career1999–2002
Position Center
Number16
Career history
1999Blu Detergent
1999–2000 Welcoat Paints
2001Montaña Jewels
2001–2002ICTSI-La Salle
Career highlights

Francisco Javier "Francis" Manlapit Zamora (born December 5, 1977) is a Filipino politician, businessman, and former basketball player serving as the mayor of San Juan, Metro Manila since 2019. He previously was San Juan's vice mayor from 2010 to 2016, and a council member from 2007 to 2010. [2]

Contents

Basketball career

Zamora, standing at 6'5", played as center, initially playing for La Salle Green Hills. He later became as the team captain of the De La Salle Green Archers who won two championships of UAAP Men's Basketball in 1998 and 1999 under then-head coach and fellow future politician Franz Pumaren. [3] He graduated with an AB in psychology in 1999. [3]

After his college career, he played in major leagues, including the Philippine Basketball League for the teams Welcoat Paintmasters (where he won two championships in 1999 and 2000) [4] and Blu Detergent. [5] Zamora was the 35th overall draft pick in the 2001 PBA draft for the Sta. Lucia Realtors. However, he never played in the PBA after being sidelined for a potential trade that would not materialize. He would then later return to PBL, playing for Montaña Jewels and ICTSI-La Salle. He retired from basketball in 2002. [6]

As a public servant, Zamora played in the UNTV Cup. He played for the Congress-LGU Legislators on UNTV Cup Season 1 in 2013, for the LGU Vanguards on Season 2 in 2014, and for the HOR Solons on Season 4. [7]

Political career

Zamora took up a business and entrepreneurship program at the New York University in 2003. [6] He received a master's degree in Public Administration from the National College of Public Administration and Governance at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2006, and completed a short course in business and entrepreneurship at New York University. [3] In 2007, Zamora started his career in politics as a councilor from the 2nd district of San Juan. He is also a member of the JCI San Juan group. Three years later, he was elected vice mayor. [4] In 2015, he finished an Executive Education Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. [6]

After two consecutive terms as vice mayor, Zamora ran for the mayoralty post in the 2016 elections. He faced the incumbent mayor Guia Gomez, promising to stop the dynasty of the Ejercito-Estradas, who, in his words, had run the city's politics for 47 years. [8] However, he narrowly lost the said election to Gomez.

In 2019, Zamora ran once again for the mayoralty post under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) against incumbent vice mayor Janella Ejercito, the daughter of former mayor and senator Jinggoy Estrada who was endorsed by the administration-backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago her grandfather, former President Joseph Estrada, and the outgoing mayor Guia Gomez. In the election, Zamora defeated Estrada by a margin of 10,247 votes, ending control of the Ejercito-Estrada clan of the city after 50 years. [9]

Zamora was reelected to a second consecutive term as mayor in 2022. On November 26, 2022, he was elected president of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) and co-chairperson of the Regional Development Council. [10] During his term, San Juan received its Seal of Good Local Governance in 2023. [6] He was reelected to his third consecutive term as mayor in 2025 and his second term as MMC president in the same year. [11]

Personal life

He is the son and youngest child of Ronaldo Zamora, a long-time congressman in San Juan who served the city for almost two decades, with his wife Rosemarie "Mimi" Manlapit. He had an older sister named Consuelo Maria Zamora (1970–2008). [12] His half-sisters Ysabel Maria ("Bel") and Amparo Maria ("Pammy") also entered politics, having served as congresswomen from San Juan's lone district and Taguig's 2nd district, respectively. [13]

He married Keri Neri in 2001 and has four children. [5] [14] His daughter, Amanda, is a model who competed as a housemate in the "Connect" season of Pinoy Big Brother in 2021, where she was eliminated in the last eviction alongside Ralph Malibunas. [15]

Since 2014, Zamora is the owner of a Goldilocks Bakeshop franchise branch at Greenhills Shopping Center. [16]

References

  1. "bio – Francis Zamora". Francis Zamora. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  2. "Francis Zamora defeats Janella Estrada in San Juan mayoralty race". GMA News Online. May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Francis Zamora: From Archer to Public Servant". The LaSallian. December 22, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Enriquez, Marge C. (July 1, 2014). "These politicos love their game". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Icamen, Pinky S. (September 20, 2015). "Leading in the game of life". Philippine Star. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Dacuno, Nepheline. "The Game Changer" . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  7. "HOR Solons eyes the semi-finals of UNTV Cup Season 4". UNTVweb.com. September 9, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  8. Elemia, Camille (October 6, 2015). "Ex-Estrada ally declares bid to 'end dynasty' in San Juan". Rappler. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  9. Talabong, Rambo (May 13, 2019). "Zamora ends Estrada clan's 50-year control over San Juan". Rappler. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  10. Sarao, Zacarian (November 27, 2022). "San Juan City Mayor Zamora elected as Metro Manila Council president". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  11. Sigales, Jason (August 1, 2025). "San Juan Mayor Zamora clinches 2nd term as MMC president". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  12. Aning, Jerome; Tubeza, Philip C. (July 28, 2012). "'No need to heal, nothing to fix'". Inquirer.net . Inquirer Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  13. "San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora celebrates sisters' congressional wins". Politiko Metro Manila. May 11, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  14. Esguerra, Tinne (June 15, 2014). "Francis Zamora: From public servant to talk show host". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  15. Tinga, Kerry (December 23, 2020). "San Juan Mayor Zamora proud of daughter who got in 'PBB'". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  16. "SJ Vice Mayor opens Goldilocks". The Philippine Star. April 4, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by
Boy Celles
Vice Mayor of San Juan
2010–2016
Succeeded by
Janella Estrada
Preceded by Mayor of San Juan
2019–present
Incumbent