CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia exceeded the votes she received in the 2019 midterm elections after she got more than 500,000 votes in this year’s general election.

The four-time governor was proclaimed winner on Tuesday, May 10, a day after the elections, after securing a historic 80.80 percent of the votes or 1,478,436 votes, beating former tourism secretary Joseph Felix Mari “Ace” Durano, who garnered only 18.66 percent of the votes or 341,155 votes, and Nito Magnanao, who got 0.53 percent or 9,812 votes.

The reelected governor, who got the mandate to serve a fifth term, received 591,146 more votes in the May 9 elections. She had a total of 887,290 votes in the 2019 elections, according to the Philippine News Agency.

When asked for his comment about Garcia’s triumph, Acting Cebu Elections Supervisor Jerome Brillantes said most Cebuanos may have chosen the governor because of her performance.

Garcia will govern Cebu Province for another three years, along with reelected Vice Gov. Hilario “Junjun” Davide III, the running mate of Durano who secured 60.60 percent at 788,081 votes, beating the governor’s running mate, Dr. Maria Theresa “Doc Tess” Heyrosa, who garnered 46 percent of the votes or 716,450 votes, and John Enad, who got 3.38 percent or 62,784 votes.

Garcia served as governor for three terms from 2004 to 2013, then Cebu third district representative from 2013 to 2019 before returning to the Capitol in 2019 for her fourth term. Davide was the governor from 2013 to 2019.