THE Cebu City Council has approved a resolution granting Mayor Nestor Archival the authority to explore a Multi-Year Contracting Authority (MYCA) for the proposed “Mayor of the Night” program, a City initiative for 24/7
government services.
The approval allows the City to begin identifying office space for a one-stop service center that will cater to night-shift workers and residents needing access to city and national services outside regular office hours.
Acting Vice Mayor Winston Pepito, in an interview with the media, explained that the resolution only authorizes the mayor to explore the contracting authority and not yet to sign any lease or agreement.
Once a contract is finalized, it must still undergo separate approval by the council.
Pepito noted that the measure was amended to authorize exploration rather than granting the MYCA outright, ensuring compliance with legal and procedural requirements.
Pepito added that an executive session scheduled for Dec. 9 will provide council members a full briefing on the program.
The discussion aims to clarify operational details, including which agencies will participate, projected beneficiaries and how the program will function if existing memoranda of agreement are not yet in place.
He emphasized that the session is necessary because prior discussions between the executive department and the council were limited, leaving some members unclear about the program’s scope and implementation.
Endorsement and clarification
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who conceptualized the initiative, welcomed the council’s approval.
He initially posted on Facebook that the property lease had been approved, but later corrected it to reflect the proper terminology: contracting authority.
“I am happy to announce that the City Council has approved the contracting authority for the mayor to find a property to serve as the site of the ‘Mayor of the Night’ program. Soon, the one-stop shop will be established and government services will finally be made available 24/7,”
Osmeña said.
Program scope
The program envisions a service hub at Cebu IT Park in Barangay Lahug, home to numerous BPO companies and other 24-hour establishments.
It will host both City and national government agencies, including the City Treasurer, Business Permit and Licensing Office, Civil Registrar, City Health Department, Social Security System, Pag-ibig, Philhealth, Land Transportation Office, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Statistics Authority, Philpost and Bureau of Internal Revenue, in addition to police clearance, health card and community tax certificate services.
The City Legal Office previously issued a favorable opinion, noting that there is no legal impediment to a multi-year lease contract, provided it complies with budgetary rules and the MYCA under Section 9 of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 12009.
Earlier, Mayor Archival defended the initiative as a citizen-centered program designed to make government accessible to night-shift workers.
“This is for everyone who keeps the city running at night,” he said, highlighting its importance for employees in Cebu City’s booming BPO sector.
With the contracting authority now approved and the executive session set, the council will have a chance to fully understand the program before any contracts are signed or operational decisions are made. / CAV