Local elections were held in Cebu City on May 9, 2022 within the Philippine general election. Registered voters of the city elected their mayor, vice mayor, district representatives, and city council members. The mayor and vice mayor were elected in separate first-past-the-post votes. While for the legislative branch, Cebu City is divided into two districts wherein the constituents of each district elected a congressional representative (through first-past-the-post voting) and eight regular city council members (through multi-member plurality voting).
Incumbent mayor Mike Rama (Barug-PDPâÂÂLaban) won a full term by defeating former acting mayor Margot Osmeña (BOâÂÂPK-LDP) and four other independent candidates. Rama, who was elected vice mayor in 2019, ascended to the mayorship upon the death of Mayor Edgardo Labella in 2021. Rama also previously served two consecutive terms as mayor from 2010 to 2016. Rama's running mate, councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia (KUSUG/PDPâÂÂLaban), was elected vice mayor by defeating Osmeña's running mate, councilor Franklyn Ong.
In the Cebu City Council, Rama's ticket composed of Barug-PDPâÂÂLaban, KUSUG, and three independents won twelve seats (five seats in the 1st district and seven in the 2nd district). Meanwhile, Osmeña's BOâÂÂPK-LDP ticket garnered the remaining four seats (three seats in the 1st district and one in the 2nd district) down from the eight they held in the outgoing term.
For Cebu City's House of Representatives seats: in the 1st district, Rachel del Mar (NPC) was elected for a second non-consecutive term to the seat vacated by her father, Raul del Mar, who died in office back in 2020. Meanwhile, in the 2nd district, councilor Eduardo "Edu" Rama Jr. (PDPâÂÂLaban), Mike Rama's nephew, defeated LDP's nominee BG Rodrigo Abellanosa, son of the term-limited incumbent Rodrigo Abellanosa.
The elected officials assumed their respective offices on June 30, 2022 and are expected to each serve a three-year term until June 30, 2025.
Prior to his death on November 19, 2021, then mayor Edgardo Labella chose not to seek re-election in 2022, paving the way for then vice mayor Michael Rama to seek a return to his old post as mayor. Rama, who previously served as mayor from 2010 to 2016, teamed up with incumbent city councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia as his candidate for vice mayor whom he competed against for the position of vice mayor in 2007 but has since become allies when the latter's political party KUSUG endorsed Rama's re-election in 2013.
Margarita Osmeña, a former city councilor and wife of former mayor Tomas Osmeña, has also decided to throw her hat into the mayoral race together with incumbent city councilor Franklyn Ong as her candidate for vice mayor. Ong is currently serving as Kasambagan barangay captain and as ex officio member of the Cebu City Council representing the Liga ng mga Barangay - Cebu City Chapter. Osmeña has previously served as acting mayor from May 17, 2016 to June 30, 2016 with the suspension of then mayor Rama. If elected, Osmeña will be the first woman mayor of the city.
Several personalities have also filed their candidacies such as incumbent city councilor David Tumulak as mayor, former city administrator Bimbo Fernandez as vice mayor, actor and businessman Richard Yap as representative of Cebu City's 1st congressional district, and former mayor Tomas Osmeña as representative of Cebu City's 2nd congressional district. However, Osmeña withdrew his candidacy days before the substitution deadline and was replaced by BG Rodrigo Abellanosa, son of Rodrigo Abellanosa.
The following are "third-termers", who are term limited.
The Commission on Elections is expected to publish a final list of accepted candidates by early 2022.
The following have filed certificates of candidacies, formally notifying the commission that they are running.
These are the candidates who have filed candidacies, but later withdrew:
Margarita Osmeña, a former city councilor and wife of former mayor Tomas Osmeña, is challenging incumbent mayor Michael Rama for the position of mayor. Outgoing city councilor David Tumulak has also joined the race as an independent candidate.
Incumbent city councilors Raymond Alvin Garcia and Franklyn Ong are competing for the position of vice mayor along with former city administrator Bimbo Fernandez.
Actor Richard Yap is running again as 1st district representative after losing to the late Raul del Mar in the 2019 elections. Yap will face off with former party mate and incumbent city councilor Prisca Niña Mabatid and del Mar's daughter Rachel, who previously served as the district's representative from 2010 to 2013.
BG Rodrigo Abellanosa attempted to succeed his father, incumbent district representative Rodrigo Abellanosa. He lost to Eduardo Rama Jr., an incumbent city councilor and nephew of incumbent mayor Michael Rama.
Incumbents are expressed in italics.
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