24/7 services hub begins operations in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines — As regular offices closed at 5:00 p.m. yesterday, April 6, the Cebu City government’s 24/7 Government Services Hub opened its counters at the Cebu Exchange Tower in Lahug, giving residents round the clock access to government transactions.

During the soft launch of the program, also known as the “Mayor of the Night,” five city offices began operating on a 24-hour basis. These include the City Treasurer’s Office, the Business Permit and Licensing Office, the City Health Office, the City Civil Registrar, and the City Traffic Office.

These offices will handle transactions ranging from cedula issuance and occupational permits to health cards, civil registry documents, and traffic violation payments.

Created under Executive Order No. 027, Series of 2025, the initiative was envisioned to extend government services beyond the traditional workday, particularly to address the needs of the city’s large night-shift workforce in the business process outsourcing sector.

The city has allocated ?12 million over three years to sustain operations, covering staffing, facilities, and inter-agency coordination.

While some opposition councilors have raised concerns about funding sustainability and manpower, civic leaders and community groups welcomed this move as a significant step toward modernizing public service delivery.

Mayor Nestor Archival earlier said the hub is meant to make government “accessible at the time people need it most,” while also serving nurses, doctors, delivery riders, and other workers whose schedules fall outside the usual nine-to-five.

Cebu City is the first known local government unit in the Philippines to establish round-the-clock services.

Meanwhile, the program's official start of operations coincides with Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña stepping in as acting mayor, while Councilor Winston Pepito assumes the role of acting vice mayor.

This temporary arrangement comes as Archival is currently in Rome with his family for a vacation, according to Osmeña.

For the week, Osmeña and Pepito are overseeing City Hall operations.

Osmeña is the brain behind the “Mayor of the Night” program, having pushed for its institutionalization to ensure inclusivity in public service. — (FREEMAN)