INCUMBENT Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and the southern slate of his KUSUG-Panaghiusa Coalition were ecstatically received by a thousands-strong crowd as they held a mini-rally in Guadalupe, Cebu City, Monday night.
Residents from the various sitios of Guadalupe, the city’s most vote-rich barangay, and the neighboring barangays of Sapangdaku, Calamba, and Duljo-Fatima, joined Guadalupe Barangay Captain Apol Gacasan Enriquez and former barangay captains Michael Gacasan and Eugenio Faelnar in the gathering held beside the barangay hall.
“This close to the election, kinahanglan na ‘tang maghinugtanay. And mapasalamaton kaayo ko nga nakakita sa inyong hugot nga pagsuporta ug pagsalig,” Mayor Garcia told the crowd.
The mayor was joined by his south district slate, that includes his running-mate – lawyer, former MCWD chairman and former city councilor Joey Daluz – and the southern half of their slate that is composed of incumbent Councilors James Cuenco, Rey Gealon, and Junjun Osmena; former councilor David Tumulak; and neophyte candidates Pie Abella; Opel Abellanosa; Jeson Guardo; and Eugene Labella.
Another mini rally is scheduled for the north district slate on Friday.
Garcia admitted that he was touched by the show of support by voters, saying a sea of hope and unity filled the streets. The show of support, he said, ”captured the heart of a movement nga gipadagan sa inyong gugma, pagsalig, ug walay puas nga suporta.”
“Daghang salamat for standing with us, believing in our vision, and showing that together, mas naa tay KUSUG,” he said. “Padayon ta sa tinuod na aksyon, serbisyo, ug panaghiusa.”
Garcia is running for mayor after having been elected Vice Mayor in 2022, receiving a clear majority of 283,235 votes, which according to Atty. Edwin Cadungog – the chairman of the Cebu City Board of Election Canvassers for the 2022 elections – was the highest number of votes given to any person who has run for any public position in the history of Cebu City elections.
His term got cut short, however, when he became acting mayor in May last year, following the six-month preventive suspension of Cebu City mayor Michael Rama over an administrative case involving the non-payment of salaries of 10 City Hall employees.
On October 9, 2024, Garcia was ordered to ascend as City Mayor by the DILG when Rama, then still suspended, was got ordered dismissed from service and perpetually disqualified from holding government office for nepotism and misconduct.
He would later be ordered dismissed from service again due to violations of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act over a questioned procurement program.
Prior to winning his first term as Vice Mayor, and ascension to the mayorship, Atty. Garcia was presiding officer of the 16th Sangguniang Panlungsod and majority floor leader of the 15th Sanggunian.
He is credited as having authored the greatest number of approved ordinances at 43, the most number of resolutions at 3,320, as well as the most number of committee reports – 333 – all in one term.
As Vice Mayor, he authored the approved ordinance that allowed contract of service employees to receive gratuity pay in lieu of bonuses enjoyed by casual, co-terminus, and regular employees; the approved ordinance creating the Cebu City Heritage District and Cebu City Heritage District Council; the approved ordinances institutionalizing the Rajah Tupas Awards, and the Heritage Awards; and, the measure that institutionalizes the celebration of Cebu City Arts Month.
As councilor, he is recognized for authoring the ordinance providing gratuity pay as retirement benefits of elected barangay officials; the ordinance that mandates the provision of free school supplies to public elementary pupils of the city every year; the ordinance that provides amnesty for Cebu City business owners and residents who were unable to pay their taxes as a result of the pandemic; the ordinance that extended the validity of business permits to two years; and, the Cebu City Anti-Noise Ordinance; and, the Cebu City Anti-Speeding ordinances.
Garcia is running under the banner of the KUSUG Panaghiusa Coalition. KUSUG, for Kugi Uswag Sugbo, was founded by his father, former Cebu City mayor Alvin Garcia, while Panaghiusa was founded by vice mayoral aspirant Daluz’s mother, the broadcaster Nenita “Inday Nita” Cortes Daluz.
He entered government service first as a barangay councilor, serving Kamputhaw.
He earned his law degree at the University of San Carlos and has a Master of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Asia and the Pacific. / paid for by friends of Raymond Alvin N. Garcia.