CEBU — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was sworn in for a fresh term as the city's chief executive on Thursday.

Rama took his oath of office before Appellate Court Justice Jacinto Fajardo Jr. at the Cebu City Hall, with his family witnessing the occasion.

Among those who also attended the inauguration rites were Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, members of the business community, and other local officials from nearby areas.

In his address, Rama vowed to make Cebu a "Singapore-like city," hoping to bring the neighboring country's standards into the city.

“We will be clean, green, orderly and disciplined,” he said.

He also vowed to bring back in-person activities of the annual Sinulog Festival, which were halted over the past 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among his other plans is to continue the city's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in the city, improve the streets, and provide more housing.

These plans, Rama noted, will be easier to realize since he is allies with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, and incoming House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Rama was part of the Cusi wing of former President Rodrigo Duterte's party PDP-Laban, which had endorsed Marcos in the May 9 polls.

“Today is a beginning of a new journey making Cebu city second to none,” he said.

This is Rama’s third term as Cebu City Mayor, after holding the position 2010 to 2016.

He was elected vice mayor in 2019, but assumed the mayoralty when Edgardo Labella died in 2021.

Considered the regional center of Central Visayas, Cebu City is the richest city outside Metro Manila with recorded assets of up to P34 billion, according to the Commission on Audit's 2020 report.

— Report from Annie Perez

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