cdn mobile

Osmeña wages war on ‘air-conditioned politics,’ vows results over rank

By: Pia Piquero - Multimedia Reporter - CDN Digital | July 03,2025 - 10:15 AM

Osmeña wages war on ‘air-conditioned politics,’ vows results over rank. In photo is Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña | CDN Photo/ Pia Piquero

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña is throwing out old-school political playbooks as he pushes for solutions built on the streets, not inside city hall.

Osmeña made it clear that he’s not interested in committee chairmanships, political hierarchy, or what he calls “air-conditioned politics.”

In a no-holds-barred interview, Osmeña said his focus would be on action programs that would respond to real needs, built with the input of the people, and tested in the field, not on paper.

“But let me tell you, this [free bus ride] is very high priority to me. Even higher than my job as Vice Mayor,” Osmeña said, referring to the city’s upcoming free night bus rides for BPO workers.

“People talk about chairmanship committees. To me, that’s boring. This is where the action is — because you’re actually looking at people, you’re looking at their problems, you look at their faces, you feel their feelings, you let them express themselves,” he said.

READ: Cebu City to give free night bus rides for IT Park workers soon

Dry run phase

At the heart of this shift is a pilot program led by Osmeña and Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. that aims to provide safe, free, and commuter-designed night bus rides to workers in Cebu City’s booming BPO sector.

Currently in its dry-run phase, the initiative will soon deploy two buses that will ply routes like Bulacao, Labangon, and Mabolo to IT Park, which is home to one of the city’s largest night shift hubs.

But beyond the buses, Osmeña said, it’s a prototype for a new way of governing.

“Many of the things cannot be solved in an air-conditioned office. You’re insulating yourself, pretending that your executive order will be the one that will solve the problems. That’s not true. You have to go down there,” he said.

“This issue — to me — it’s almost like a state of war. I’m going to fight for this. If I have to kick somebody, I’ll kick somebody. I don’t care what I have to do. I have to get things done. I’m not polite anymore. Anyway, nobody likes me, so I have nothing to lose. But the important thing is to get the job done.”

READ: Osmeña proposes subscription-based bus system for BPO workers

Commuter-designed system

Osmeña earlier met with BPO representatives to gather real-time data from workers, proposing a system where riders themselves design the routes, down to where bus stops will be and what times they’ll need the rides.

“We’ll tell the agents, ‘Look, we can put on your screen an electronic map of the city. You put a dot where you live. That dot opens a file in the GIS system. You indicate what time you have to go to work and what time you’re coming home,” he explained.

“These data points become the system. This will probably be the only system in the world designed by the customer — by the rider themselves.”

The dry run will initially be fare-free. Eventually, the city will shift to a subscription-based model where users pre-pay, eliminating the need for cash or tickets during boarding.

READ: LTFRB directs bus to improve terminal facilities in 60 days

“Initially, we will not charge because we know the first trip is all screwed up. But everyone expects that. Pasensya na lang (Have patience on this), it’s new. We’ll try it one time,” Osmeña said.

He added that private sector support was being tapped to help fund the first fleet.

“I will ask the private sector, a few businessmen, to buy four buses. We’ll give you the route. Then we’ll see if we can make a financial plan that pays for itself,” he said.

New politics, new priorities

The free night bus rides are just the beginning, Osmeña said. What matters is a shift in priorities, from debating positions in council to showing up for people who need real, working solutions.

“I’m actively hot on this issue,” he said. “This is not about being polite or playing politics. This is about doing what’s right and getting it done.”

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.

TAGS: air-conditioned politics, Cebu City, Free bus rides, Tomas Osmeña
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.