Outgoing Cebu City mayor bares plans after election defeat

Local

FOLLOWING his defeat in the 2025 midterm elections, outgoing Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said he will now turn his attention to his private law practice and spend more time with his family once he steps down from public office.

Garcia, who served as mayor for barely a year, placed second in the mayoral race with 176,967 votes, over 79,000 votes behind Mayor-elect Nestor Archival Sr., who garnered 256,197 votes. Former mayor Michael Rama trailed in third with 120,124 votes.

In a recent interview with reporters, shortly after Archival’s proclamation, Garcia admitted that the results caught him off guard.

“Of course, I did not expect the result. I expected to come up victorious considering that in just a short, well, one year na karun we were able to do so much with little time,” he said. “Maybe, wala lang nakit-an sa uban. Maybe walang sa na appreciate tingali. I don’t know.”

While sounding disappointed, Garcia said he accepts the outcome of the democratic process and pledged full support for Archival’s administration. He also ordered a smooth turnover and transition.

“I already told Atty. [Kristine] Batucan nga to already prepare for the smooth transition from our administration to the administration of Mayor-elect Nestor Archival,” he said. “Regardless of who will sit as Mayor, Cebu City will thrive and Cebu City and the Cebuanos will live in a better place.”

A day before the official proclamation, at 11:29 p.m. on May 12, Garcia took to Facebook to publicly concede, thank his supporters, and congratulate the incoming city leaders.

“We fought a good fight but, in the end, it is the people who make the final judgement,” he wrote. “My warmest congratulations to… Mayor-elect Nestor Archival, and Vice Mayor-elect Tommy Osmeña… I shall spend the next weeks ensuring a smooth transition to the incoming administration.”

Garcia, whose term ends on June 30, said his final weeks in office will focus on completing pending projects and meeting with elected councilors from his slate.

He also confirmed that he had ordered the release of the Charter Day bonus for city employees.

“Well, tomorrow I will be at City Hall the whole day… Basically more of finishing my term until the end of June 30 and to do business as usual at City Hall,” he said.

After that, Garcia said he looks forward to returning to private life, particularly to his family and law profession.

“Maybe this is the time for me to focus on my health… spend more time with my daughter, spend more time with my wife,” he said. “This is also the time for me to be more visible with my friends… with my parents… with my brothers and my nephews and nieces.”

He also revealed plans to resume his corporate law practice, which he had to put on hold during his stint in public office.

“Maybe I will also do a little bit of law practice, tingali. More law practice sa ako corporate law which ako na biyaan ako retainers,” he said.

When asked if he had any regrets from the campaign, Garcia said he preferred to first consult with his supporters and campaign team before drawing conclusions.

“At the end of the day, it really points down to how people perceive you… we just have to respect that and hope and pray that the new mayor will carry on what we have started,” he said.

For Garcia, however, the path ahead is clear; for now, it’s time to close a chapter in public service and return to personal and professional priorities.

“Service to the people… takes on many forms and being your mayor is just one of them,” he wrote in his concession post. “Makasalig ang tanan nga magpadayon ang atong pagpanerbisyo sa katawhan.”(TGP)