Gwen declares free zone in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines — No official endorsement was made by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia as she joined the grand proclamation rally of One Mandaue led by mayoral candidate Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano last March 29, 2025.

But Garcia clarified that while she is not officially endorsing Ouano and his slate, she also will not officially endorse Ouano's opponent for the mayoral seat, former mayor Jonas Cortes, and his slate, who are all her allies.

In his Certificate of Candidacy, Cortes is under Garcia's One Cebu, while Ouano is under Lakas-CMD, the party of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

In previous years, the Ouanos and Cortes have become allies, particularly in the 2019 and 2022 elections, which was acknowledged by Garcia.

“We won with that unity. We did it again in 2022. Kuyog gihapon ang ang nagkahiusang pwersa. But sadly after 2022 nagsugod na ang pagka buak-buak sayran ko kamo how I tried to keep that unity. Pila ka higayon mag abot ang duha ka pwersa, mohangyo ko paningkamutan nato, ipadayon ang kahiusahan kay kung nagbuwag buwag ang katawhan mao kini ang mahimong sagabal unya sa atong tinguha nga molambo ang dakbayan sa Mandaue,” said disclosed.

Garcia said that she has tried several times to unite the Ouanos and Cortes', who were previously allies.

“I tried, not once, not twice three or even more than three times or more, but I failed. Wa to nako makab-ot ang akong tinguha nga magpabiling usa ang duha ka pwersa, nagkabuwag gyud. But mind you inspite of the frustration that I felt, sa akong kaguol nga nagkabuwag gyud, gi respeto nako ang ilang desisyon. For they are leaders as well afterall," Garcia said, as she stressed on the contributions of both families and their administrations to Mandaue City.

On the other hand, Ouano's sister, reelectionist Mandaue City Lone District Representative Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon said that for the congressional race, she is endorsed by the governor as she is also the current secretary-general of One Cebu.

The governor likewise acknowledged Ouano-Dizon for the great things she has done for Mandaue City and for her continued support on her administration as well as Jonkie for supporting her since 2019.

“Sama ra kung ang pikas di ko usab kalimtan ang ilang pagsuporta kay nagkuyog man tang tanan sukad pa 2019,” said the governor, who shared how difficult her position is.

“Unsaon ko kaha pagpasabot nga ania ako karon nahimutang sa taliwala ug ako labaw na bisan kinsa, ang labing naguol niining pagkabuwag. Apan gi respituhan ko ang mga desisyon sa matag panig, isip inahan nga gikinahanglan magpatiwala sa mga anak nga mag away,” said the governor on her predicament.

Garcia explained that she joined the proclamation rally with a hope that the Mandauehans will hear her not just the Ouano supporters but also of the other camp.

“I am here to speak all of you, Mandauehanons whether you belong to One Mandaue or you belong to the other group because I am the governor of all Cebuanos, I am the governor of all Mandauehanons,” Garcia said.

The governor said that although it may not be the usual practice of other politicians, she assured that whoever wins in the upcoming elections, she will always respect that position.

“Rest assured inig human sa election kung kinsa man ang mapili, I will always respect that position kinsay napili sa katawhan kay kana gipili sa kahitas-an. Ayaw wad-a ang Ginoo taliwala niining mainit nga panahon kay utang nato kaniya ang atong kinabuhi,” the governor said.

“Busa moingon ako, in the next 44 days I pray to God that everyone will keep safe. Ako mo ampo nga matag kampo mahatagan sa giya ug proteksiyon and that in the end the voice of the people, which is the

voice of God, will be respected by all,” the governor added.

As she concluded her speech, she hugged Jonkie and his sister, who were teary-eyed, while the crowd erupted in cheers.

One mandaue's “our new era” vision

During the campaign kickoff held in the open space next to the Mandaue City Sports Complex, drawing a crowd of over 20,000 supporters, the Ouano siblings also unveiled their “Our New Era” vision for Mandaue City if elected.

Jonkie vowed that, as the party’s standard-bearer, he would prioritize key areas he believes are lacking in Mandaue City, including educational facilities, peace and security, and healthcare services.

He pledged to bring new and better leadership to Mandaue City, promising improvements over the current administration if One Mandaue emerges victorious in the 2025 midterm elections.

One Mandaue also officially introduced their complete slate, including Mandaue City Vice Mayor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, who if elected, will become the City’s first elected female vice mayor.

One Mandaue’s full slate includes Provincial Board Member candidate Atty. Olin Seno. Seeking reelection as city councilors are Ting Sol Cabahug, Anjong Ouano-Icalina, and Atty. Joel Seno. Meanwhile, other candidates running for council seats include Eugene Andaya, Ben Basiga, Eping Diano, Tingy Echavez, Bubbles Suson, Dar Tarriman, Fritz Villamor, Copoy Villanueva, and Greg Yap.

Jonkie, as he vies for the highest position in the Mandaue City government, has vowed to build a “Modern City Hospital,” presenting its proposed design to his supporters. He said it is one of his main priorities, especially since the current Mandaue City Hospital has only a 25-bed capacity, forcing some patients to be referred to private hospitals due to a lack of equipment in the public hospital.

However, the mayoral aspirant noted that not everyone can afford even the down payment for admission to private hospitals. With this, he plans to build a new and modern city hospital with an initial capacity of 257 beds to better serve the Mandauehanons.

“Kung naa tay kaugalingong hospital, di na kinahanglan og down payment,” Ouano told supporters during the rally.

In addition to improving healthcare in the city, he also vowed to allocate subsidies for barangay health centers to provide medicines and other medical needs for residents. He shared that, at present, the health centers in Mandaue’s 27 barangays do not receive medicines from the city government. While some medicines are available, they are subsidized by the barangays rather than the city.

As part of their vision for a new era in Mandaue City, Jonkie emphasized that quality education must be accompanied by improved school facilities. He promised to build a dedicated Mandaue City College building with enough classrooms to accommodate students. Currently, classes are being held at the Mandaue City Sports Complex.

Additionally, Jonkie outlined his plan to strengthen peace and order in the city, particularly at the barangay level. He noted that many alleyways still lack proper lighting. To address this, he vowed to install more streetlights in these areas to enhance the safety of residents, especially night-shift workers like call center agents and students who commute through dark streets.

The mayoral aspirant also highlighted plans to enhance social services in the city, including increasing the current ?10,000 financial assistance to ?12,000 annually for senior citizens.

Ouano noted that if he and his sister work together in leading the city, the local government could save funds by securing national government allocations through Dizon’s efforts. With this, the city’s budget could be used to expand social services for the Mandauehanons.

“Magkasinabot gani ang national government magtambayayong, magkahiusa ug ang local government, mas daghan gyud ta og mabuhat,” said Ouano.

He added that while his plans for the city may seem “basic,” they are realistic and highly achievable as long as the national and local governments work together.

“Very basic pero very doable,” he vowed to his supporters.

On the other hand, Ouano-Dizon, who delivered her speech at around 1 AM already on March 30, 2025, highlighted that the year 2025 would be a time of “hope and change” for Mandaue City. She made this statement shortly before raising hands with the One Mandaue candidates.

Dizon did not elaborate much on her plans but vowed to continue her accomplishments for Mandaue’s lone district. If reelected, she promised to work hard to secure more funding from the national government.

“Kay ang kwarta sa katawhan, ibalik sa katawhan,” said Dizon.

She reiterated her brother’s plans and promised to support him further if reelected as the city’s congresswoman.

“Importante kaayo nga magkasinabot ang mayor ug ang kongresista,” said Dizon. (CEBU NEWS)