The numbers don’t lie, and neither do the roaring crowds of Manileños. Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso secured a crushing 530,825 votes, demolishing his closest rival by over 340,000 votes in what political observers are calling one of the most decisive mayoral victories in Manila’s modern history.
The boy from Tondo has reclaimed his kingdom, and the capital is buzzing with anticipation.
Three years. That’s how long Manileños waited for their “Yorme” to return home. Three years of longing glances at shuttered beautification projects, of yearning for the swift, no-nonsense governance that transformed their city from 2019 to 2022. Now, with 59.02% of the vote decisively in his favor, Isko Moreno isn’t just returning to City Hall—he’s armed with a mandate to make sweeping change.
The Mandate is Clear
The mathematics of democracy spoke volumes on May 12, 2025. Moreno’s political machine delivered a masterclass in electoral dominance. His slate didn’t just win the mayoralty—they captured 23 out of 36 city council seats, giving him the legislative muscle to push through his ambitious “Make Manila Great Again” agenda without the political gridlock that has paralyzed other local governments.
This wasn’t merely an election; it was a referendum on competence. Over 12,000 Manileños attended a single endorsement event, their presence a thunderous declaration that they remembered what effective governance looked like. They remembered the mayor who didn’t just make promises—he delivered them with surgical precision.
The Golden Years: 2019-2022 Remembered
To understand the fervor behind Moreno’s return, one must revisit the transformational years that cemented his legend. When he first took office in 2019, Manila was a city gasping for breath—choked by traffic, suffocated by bureaucratic inertia, and scarred by decades of neglect. What followed was nothing short of urban alchemy.
His firm implementation of city services, beautification of derelict historical sites, and leading the establishment of city infrastructure became the blueprint for progressive local governance. The man who once scavenged in Tondo’s streets as a child orchestrated Manila’s most comprehensive urban renewal since the Spanish colonial era. Arroceros Park bloomed again. The Manila Zoo roared back to life. Manila topped the 2020 ranking of highly urbanized cities, a testament to his administration’s relentless pursuit of excellence.
But it wasn’t just about aesthetics. Domagoso focused on improving public health and school facilities and providing low-cost housing for the urban poor, along with beautification and tourism projects across the city. His pandemic response became a model for other local government units, combining science-based policies with compassionate implementation that protected both lives and livelihoods.
What Manileños Crave:
The Return of Urgency
The intervening years under different leadership taught Manileños a harsh lesson about the fragility of progress. With mounting calls for the return of his healthcare initiatives, many are hopeful that Manila will once again see an era of efficient, accessible, and responsive medical services. The contrast couldn’t be starker—where once there was swift action, there was now bureaucratic lethargy. Where once there was vision, there was now maintenance mode governance.
The people remember his famous line: “Hindi pwedeng ganito nalang tayo.” It became more than a catchphrase; it became a battle cry for a city that refused to accept the status quo. They remember the mayor who would personally inspect construction sites at dawn, who live-streamed his governance for transparency, who treated every peso of public money as sacred trust.
Making Manila Great Again
Moreno’s campaign slogan wasn’t borrowed rhetoric—it was a promise rooted in proven track record. His “Make Manila Great Again” platform resonates because he’s already done it once. The infrastructure projects that dot Manila’s landscape aren’t campaign promises; they’re monuments to his first administration’s competence.
At a recent rally in Manila, former Mayor Isko Moreno and his slate for the 2025 elections received a warm and enthusiastic reception from the people. The warmth wasn’t mere political theater—it was genuine affection for a leader who had demonstrated that government could work, that cities could be transformed, that the impossible was merely improbable.
His return comes at a critical juncture. Manila faces new challenges: post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change adaptation, and the ever-present specter of urban decay. But Manileños have witnessed his crisis management skills firsthand. They’ve seen him turn obstacles into opportunities, problems into progress.
As Isko Moreno prepares to take the helm once more, Manila stands on the precipice of its second golden age.
For a city that dared to dream of greatness once before, the return of their Yorme isn’t just a political victory, it’s the restoration of hope itself. In the chess game of Philippine politics, Isko Moreno has just declared checkmate on mediocrity. Manila, brace yourself. Your prince has come home.
