Belmonte wins final mayoral term in Quezon City with over 1M votes

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor-elect Joy Belmonte is set to serve her third and final term after the City Board of Canvassers proclaimed her victory on Tuesday, May 13.

Belmonte reportedly garnered the support of 1,030,730 voters, earning the “highest number of votes legally cast,” according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). 

She was formally proclaimed mayor at around 10:22 a.m. after the Comelec completed the canvassing of votes from 1,658 clustered precincts.

In a Facebook post, Belmonte expressed her gratitude to Quezon City citizens for their continued support since she ran for vice mayor in 2010, followed by her first bid for the top post in the city in 2019. 

“Anumang lubak ang ating naranasan at pinagdaanan, lagi kayong nandiyan upang maging inspirasyon sa pagbango,” she said. (No matter the bumps we encountered along the way, you were always there to inspire us to rise again)

“Asahan niyo po na sa darating na huling termino ni Mayor Joy ay dodoblehin niya ang kanyang pagta-trabaho, at pagbibigay ng de-kalidad na serbisyo para sa bawat QCitizen,” she added, vowing to serve honestly and responsibly. 

(You can count on Mayor Joy to double her efforts in her final term, delivering quality public service for every QCitizen.)

Quezon City remains the most vote-rich locality in the country, with over 1.45 million registered voters as of the 2025 elections. Belmonte’s vote count indicates that at least seven in 10 registered voters backed her bid to remain in office.

Partial, unofficial results from the media transparency servers reflect a similar trend. With 97.89% of election returns processed, Belmonte had received 1.009 million votes out of 1,126,652 total votes cast, amounting to roughly nine in 10 of those who voted.

The margin marks a landslide victory, leaving her challengers far behind and cementing her leadership of Quezon City for another three years.

Her long-time running mate, reelectionist Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, had also been proclaimed to retain his post with nearly 1 million votes against contenders who received less than 30,000. 

Reps. Arjo Atayde and Ralph Tulfo, who ran under Belmonte’s slate, also sought reelection and are leading the polls by a wide margin.

Belmonte likewise campaigned with her nephew, Mikey Belmonte, who is seeking another term as councilor in the second district. He currently tops the race with 193,277 votes — about 8,000 ahead of second-placer Candy Medina.

Quezon City’s mayor-elect earlier shared plans to ensure that all residents are enrolled in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), including those who are unable to pay.

She also promised to double the number of scholars under the city’s scholarship program, build two new hospitals and expand urban farms and recreational spaces.

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