Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Wednesday lauded the nation’s career executives as the “backbone of bureaucracy,” saying their professionalism sustains government performance despite political change.

Speaking before more than 1,000 members of the Career Executive Service (CES) community at the 2025 CES Lifelong Learning for Leadership Congress at The Manila Hotel, Domagoso stressed that career officials serve as the government’s institutional memory and a stabilizing force.

“We politicians come and go, but CESOs (Career Executive Service Officers) can still run the government,” the mayor told the audience.

Also present at the event were Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, as well as Urdujah Gaerlan Alvarado, chairperson of the Career Executive Service Board and executive director Maria Marcy Cosare-Ballesteros.

Domagoso, who began his political career as a city councilor, praised the CES for embodying integrity and professionalism, noting the service has sustained efficiency and discipline in government for over five decades.

He said the same principles guide his administration’s reforms in Manila, which are focused on restoring public trust through transparent governance and prudent use of city funds.