STUDENTS and reviewers needing to put all-nighters now have an alternative study space aside from their houses and coffee shops, with the relaunch of the 24/7 operations of the Cebu City Public Library (CCPL).
Some students and reviewers interviewed by SunStar Cebu praised the initiative, saying it provides a convenient, cost-effective and conducive environment for studying, compared to renting co-working spaces and coffee shops which can be expensive.
Mayor Nestor Archival, in his speech during the relaunching ceremony on Monday, June 30, 2025, said this initiative represents their commitment to education, inclusivity and public service.
“This library, we offer this to the young people, for the students so that they can develop whatever they can in order to make Cebu number one again,” Archival said.
Then-Mayor, now Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña first implemented the initiative in 2018, as his response to a student’s social media plea for an affordable study venue. This made the library the country’s first public library to operate 24/7.
Osmeña recounted the student’s message, telling him the challenge of costly coffee shops for studying.
Osmeña also said the library helped students become “topnotchers.”
The library’s hours were reduced in 2019 due to manpower shortages.
Archival and Osmeña said the facilities and amenities in the library will also be improved
Osmeña said they plan to convert the library’s second floor, currently a museum, into an expanded study center.
He also proposed transforming underutilized barangay chapels across the city into additional study spaces.
Archival said the library will become solar-powered in six months.
Its internet speed will be improved and more air-conditioning units will be installed to enhance user comfort.
For security, five CCTV cameras were installed and two police officers were requested to be deployed in the area at nighttime.
To support the extended hours, CCPL officer-in-charge Iris Wenceslao has requested 15 additional personnel to be assigned in the library.
Benefits
For Senior High School students Maria Lopez and Prinze Nathaniel Linga of Cebu Eastern College, the 24/7 operation is helpful to students like them who cannot afford libraries with entrance fees and coffee shops.
Linga, who lives in a noisy household, said the library offers a quiet and resource-equipped alternative.
“For me, studying here at the library is better because it’s quiet and I can borrow books,” Linga said.
Glice Arcillo and Steven Boldoza, who are both reviewing for board exams, said the extended hours are a big help, especially for alumni and students staying in crowded or noisy accommodations.
Frequent user Lei Arañas, who is also preparing for a board exam, appreciated the 24/7 access to the library.
“It’s really like a blessing for us students who are studying for board exams because we can have a place which we can call our own,” Arañas said.
Arañas said while the internet is generally stable, the limited number of computers and charging ports could be improved to better serve users who have no personal devices.
PWD-friendly
The library’s personnel ensured persons with disability will be accommodated in the facility, provided with necessary services.
Former Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon, who attended the event, suggested assistive technologies like audiobooks would be helpful in the library.
The CCPL’s Braille section features a device that decodes Braille and reads text aloud. / CDF with Divine Grace Bendanillo, CNU Intern AND Ashley Judd F. Alon, UV Intern