Manila in Transition: From Honey to Yorme

Last 13 May, Manila bore witness to a stunning and emotionally charged handover of power. Honey Lacuña, the city’s first female mayor and former vice-mayor under Isko Moreno’s administration, graciously conceded to her predecessor in a race that left the electorate sharply divided

As Moreno reclaimed the mayoralty with a resounding mandate, he appealed for reconciliation, urging Manileños to "start healing each other" and move beyond political divisions.

But will Manila truly move past the bitterness of a disputed election and rekindle unity at the heart of City Hall?

Healing Rifts

Moreno’s sensitively worded appeal — highlighting the need to “let emotions subside” — signals a clear intent toward bridge‑building. Yet the wounds run deep. He admonished that “even the candidates… their mood was different” after his win. Lacuna’s dignified concession and Moreno’s open invitation for collaboration are hopeful signs. The transition team’s coordination will be critical: Setting aside investigation, finger-pointing, and blame in favor of institutional continuity and shared civic service.

Honey Lacuna’s Legacy

Honey Lacuna’s tenure (2022–2025) accrued several substantial local-government achievements:

Health-first governance: Building on her background as a doctor, she launched Kalinga sa Maynila, a program that brings essential city services directly into barangays. She reportedly visited over 500 of Manila’s 897 barangays, ensuring face‑to‑face interaction with constituents.

Education infrastructure: Her administration constructed three six‑story school facilities, addressing pressing needs in Manila’s overcrowded classrooms.

Fiscal discipline: Lacuna successfully paid down inherited infrastructure debt, and in 2024 secured the city’s first-ever Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) — recognizing transparency, accountability, and inclusive policies.

Governance innovation: She introduced the Associate in Barangay Governance (ABG) training program through Universidad de Manila, designed to empower barangay leaders with skills in fiscal management, ethical leadership, and digital administration

Despite some challenges — delays in health-permit implementation and a January 2025 garbage backlog — they illustrate a mayor earnestly steering the city toward better service delivery and institutional efficiency.

Yorme’s Revival Map

As Moreno takes office on 30 June, expectations are twofold: that he will renew his signature transformative agenda, and that he will wisely preserve or improve upon Lacuna’s legacy.

Healthcare Expansion

Continue Kalinga sa Maynila: Moreno can enhance and integrate this barangay-based service delivery model into a broader healthcare strategy.

Modernize Ospital ng Maynila: His previous renovation remains a flagship accomplishment — a world-class facility already delivering vital services .

Educational Infrastructure & Innovation

Complete and operationalize Lacuna’s school buildings.

Re-energize tech-enabled learning platforms and mobile cash-card subsidies implemented before by Moreno, ensuring digital equity continues.

Infrastructure and Urban Cleanliness

Moreno’s hallmark — Jones Bridge redevelopment, Manila Zoo restoration, and the rebuilding of Bagong Ospital ng Maynila — must be resumed and aggressively completed.

Reinstate his “sweeping cleanup” campaigns: weekly brigades, Pasig River clearing, and the “May Pera sa Basura” incentivized waste program

Governance and Fiscal Virtue

Balance proactive borrowing — previously, P10B in loans — to finish infrastructure projects while also paying debts responsibly — as Lacuna began.

Fortify transparency efforts from Lacuna’s SGLG routes, potentially pushing for digitalization of billing/payment systems and maintaining open data.

Barangay Leadership and Capacity Building

Adopt the ABG training regime to enhance citywide barangay competencies. Moreno’s administration can expand it, ensuring local officials are equipped for responsive governance.

Toward Genuine Healing

The transition from Lacuna to Moreno spans more than a change in leadership — it’s a test of Manila’s institutional robustness. Moreno’s “nation-building” vision, which seeks to re-establish Manila as the country's development core, echoes his campaign pronouncement that “where Manila goes, the country will follow.” But these grand plans must be grounded in civic unity.

True healing begins in the appointment of a transition team that blends talent from both camps, assigning key portfolios to Lacuna allies and ensuring the ABG program and SGLG frameworks aren’t discarded. Joint press conferences, inclusionary governance gestures, and shared inauguration events — where both mayor and predecessor speak of continuity — can signal a fresh commitment to the people of Manila.

Ultimately, the test is whether Yorme can revive long-stalled infrastructure, modernize public healthcare, preserve Lacuna’s institutional progress, and deliver visible, equitable services. If Moreno approaches his second term as a steward — not a victor — Manila’s healing journey will have truly started.

In sum, Manila is poised between continuity and renewal. It will succeed if Isko Moreno revives transformative projects of his first term, preserves Honey Lacuna’s forward momentum, and binds divided constituencies in a joined commitment to progress.