24/7 City Hall: Mayor Garcia says digital services ‘more sustainable’
Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia. CDN File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Outgoing Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said he would support the incoming administration’s plan to implement a 24/7 City Hall.
However, he added that digital transformation, not round-the-clock staffing, would be the better long-term solution.
While welcoming Mayor-elect Nestor Archival Sr.’s proposal to keep City Hall open 24 hours, Garcia emphasized that a mobile application would provide more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable access to government services.
In a press conference on May 19, Garcia said he shared the vision of expanding public access to services but warned of the operational costs that would come with a 24-hour setup.
“I hope it will be a successful undertaking under the incoming administration… I also hope that in the future, other government agencies like the BIR, SSS, and Pag-IBIG will join the 24-hour public service because those are the offices people really need,” Garcia said in Cebuano.
READ: Archival, Osmeña to launch 24/7 City Hall services
Garcia revealed that during his one-year term as mayor, his administration had already explored the possibility of extending City Hall hours. However, they found that investing in digital solutions would be more practical.
“We looked into this possibility, but we realized the overhead costs would increase—electricity, air conditioning, night differential pay,” he said.
“Our conclusion was to create an app where citizens could apply for services online and get responses online. All they would need to do is print documents at home,” he added.
The app Garcia referred to is the proposed “Cebutizen App,” a digital platform designed to streamline access to permits, certifications, and other government services, eliminating the need for physical visits to City Hall.
READ: Nestor Archival topples Mike Rama, Raymond Garcia in Cebu City
“This app was part of our plan, and we had already started online transactions for permits and the City Treasurer’s Office. Unfortunately, my term is only for a year, and we were not able to fully implement it,” he said.
The 24/7 City Hall initiative is a key proposal of Archival, who has said the move aims to accommodate residents working graveyard shifts, especially those in the city’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.
“This is the only City Hall probably in the whole country that never sleeps,” Archival said in an earlier interview.
READ: Digital transformation: Adapt or be left behind
Garcia said he respected the new administration’s direction but expressed hope that the groundwork his office laid for digital governance would not go to waste.“I’m supportive of the incoming administration. Let it be,” Garcia said.
“But I hope they also continue what I started—developing the app—so we don’t have to require employees to work overtime,” he added.
He also said that the city had already piloted a similar platform during the Palarong Pambansa, developed in partnership with a private company.
“It worked really well, but elections happened, and I will no longer be serving,” Garcia said. “Hopefully, our plans will continue.”
Archival and Vice Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña have both said that the 24/7 City Hall would be part of a broader plan to align government services with the needs of Cebu’s night-shift workforce and promote inclusive economic growth.
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