The Cebu City Council has taken a significant step toward making government services available around the clock by approving a resolution that grants Mayor Nestor Archival the authority to explore a Multi-Year Contracting Authority (MYCA) for the proposed "Mayor of the Night" program.
Council Grants Exploratory Authority
In a session on November 28, 2025, the council approved the measure that allows the city government to begin identifying office space for a one-stop service center. This facility will specifically cater to night-shift workers and residents who need access to city and national services outside regular office hours.
Acting Vice Mayor Winston Pepito clarified that the resolution only authorizes Mayor Archival to explore the contracting authority and does not yet permit signing any lease or agreement. He emphasized that the measure was amended from granting the MYCA outright to merely authorizing exploration, ensuring full compliance with legal and procedural requirements.
"Once a contract is finalized, it must still undergo separate approval by the council," Pepito stated during a media interview.
Program Details and Upcoming Executive Session
An executive session scheduled for December 9 will provide council members with a comprehensive briefing on the program. Pepito explained this 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.
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.
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 his statement to reflect the proper terminology of 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," Osmeña said. "Soon, the one-stop shop will be established and government services will finally be made available 24/7."
Comprehensive Service Hub for Night Owls
The program envisions establishing a service hub at Cebu IT Park in Barangay Lahug, an area known for hosting numerous BPO companies and other 24-hour establishments. The center will host both city and national government agencies, creating a comprehensive one-stop shop for essential services.
Participating agencies will include:
- City Treasurer's Office
- Business Permit and Licensing Office
- Civil Registrar
- City Health Department
- Social Security System (SSS)
- Pag-ibig Fund
- Philhealth
- Land Transportation Office (LTO)
- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
- Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
- Philpost
- Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
The hub will also provide police clearance, health card, and community tax certificate services.
The City Legal Office has already issued a favorable opinion, noting 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.
Mayor Archival defended the initiative as a citizen-centered program designed specifically to make government accessible to night-shift workers. "This is for everyone who keeps the city running at night," he said, highlighting its particular importance for employees in Cebu City's booming BPO sector.
With the contracting authority now approved and the executive session scheduled, the council will have the opportunity to fully understand the Mayor of the Night program before any contracts are signed or operational decisions are finalized.
