Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has issued Executive Order No. 27, Series of 2025, formally establishing the Cebu City 24/7 Service—also known as the “Mayor of the Night”—the first initiative of its kind in the country.
Meeting the needs of a 24/7 workforce
The order mandates the establishment of a one-stop shop that will allow residents and night-shift workers—including those in hospitals and business process outsourcing (BPO) firms—to access government services that are normally offered only during the day.
The EO pointed out that Cebu City has been recognized as the “BPO Capital of the South,” being the country’s largest BPO hub outside of Metro Manila.
One of the economic drivers of Cebu City, the BPO industry has more than 300 operators employing at least 270,000 people.
However, many of these employees work night shifts and are unable to access essential government services that are typically available only during daytime, the EO added.
By extending government services into the night, the program is expected to enhance inter-agency coordination among local and national offices that provide frontline services.
The program likewise positions Cebu City as “an innovative and inclusive city that operates and serves its people 24/7.”
Offices on board
Based on EO 27, at least four city government offices would participate in the program. These include:
The EO, however, is encouraging eight national agencies to join the program. These are the Social Security System, Pag-Ibig Fund, PhilHealth, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine Postal Corporation, Land Transportation Office, and Police Clearance Section of the Philippine National Police.
The pilot implementation of the program will run for more than two years but will not extend beyond the term of the incumbent officials.
During this period, the city will assess its effectiveness, operational feasibility, public reception, and the potential for expanding the service to other strategic areas in Cebu City, as circumstances permit.
The city government will identify, lease, or utilize a suitable space to serve as the 24/7 Government Services Center, which shall operate during the designated nighttime hours.
It will be located anywhere within or near Cebu I.T. Park in Barangay Lahug, a 27-hectare business district that has the largest concentration of BPO offices, or another identified 24-hour commercial district.
Steering the 24/7 government initiative
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña was designated to oversee and coordinate with the various offices and stakeholders in the execution of the Cebu City 24/7 Government Services, without undermining the principle of separation of powers under the Local Government Code of 1991.
“The Office of the Vice Mayor is authorized to create, designate, or assign such committees, personnel, or coordinating units as may be necessary for the efficient implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the program,” the EO said.
Osmeña is the proponent of the initiative and has been meeting with different BPO firms in the city since he assumed office on July 1 to get feedback and test some ideas.
Based on the EO, funding for the program’s implementation will come from the city government’s available resources or from supplemental appropriations, subject to existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
The city may enter into partnerships, sponsorships, or lease agreements with private corporations, BPO companies, or property administrators to facilitate the establishment, maintenance, and operations of the Service Center.
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