SEVERAL national agencies are open to the idea of the “Mayor of the Night” program, however, they could not commit to deploying personnel to night offices.
This concern surfaced during an executive session convened to discuss the actual scope and feasibility of the program.
Cebu City Councilor Pastor Jun Alcover, who has always been vocal in questioning the program, said the purpose of the executive session was to clarify what the “Mayor of the Night” program would cover, particularly after statements that key government agencies would be encouraged to take part.
During the executive session on December 16, 2025, Alcover said representatives from the Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG Fund, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and other agencies were invited and were generally receptive to the concept.
However, the agencies could not commit to deploying personnel for night-time operations.
“If you look at the statement of Mayor Archival, he said that key government agencies are encouraged to participate. But it takes two to tango,” Alcover said during a press conference on Friday, December 19.
Alcover questioned the usefulness of the proposed program for business process outsourcing (BPO) employees working night shifts, particularly those based in Cebu IT Park, noting that most government requirements are already completed before employment.
He stressed that implementation would be difficult without formal coordination with national government agencies.
According to Alcover, agency representatives explained that assigning personnel would require approval from their respective national or central offices.
“They cannot decide on appointing people because the personnel to be assigned must be authorized by law. It still needs approval from the national central office,” he said.
Alcover added that he advised the mayor to first seek authority from the City Council to sign memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with national agencies to formalize their participation.
He added that the mayor was supposed to secure authority from the council to sign a memorandum of agreement between the city and the national agencies, but did not do so.
Without proper authorization and coordination, Alcover questioned how the program could be effectively implemented, saying discussions during the executive session revealed a lack of clear direction.
“That was when it became clear that the proposal was vague and had no clear direction,” he said.
Alcover also raised concerns about the additional workload the program could impose on city officials, particularly the vice mayor, who would be expected to oversee night-time operations.
He said it was already challenging to preside over regular sessions, and adding night duties would be unfair.
He also cited feedback from at least one BPO company, which said the program may be unnecessary since most employees complete government requirements before being hired.
“For most BPO employees, prerequisites are already completed before they start working, so there’s really no need,” Alcover said.
As an alternative, Alcover proposed operating City Hall on a 24/7 basis to serve clients at night, describing it as a more practical and cost-effective option.
“For me, it would be better to just declare City Hall as operating 24/7 so services can be provided at night,” he said.
Despite his reservations, Alcover said he was informed that the proposal would likely be passed, with the executive session mainly serving to gather inputs from resource persons.
However, he reiterated his opposition to the measure, citing the lack of coordination with national agencies and the availability of online government services.
Alcover clarified that he is not against extending public services at night but said he would only support the idea if it is limited to round-the-clock City Hall operations and backed by proper authority and coordination. (CAV)