2028 Iloilo City local elections
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Local elections will be held in Iloilo City on May 8, 2028, as part of the 2028 Philippine general election. The electorate would elect a mayor, a vice mayor, 12 members of the Iloilo City Council, and the lone district representative to the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The officials elected in the election will assume their respective offices on June 30, 2028, for a three-year-term.
Background
[edit]In the 2025 elections, Team Uswag—led by outgoing Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and composed of candidates from the National Unity Party and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas—attained a landslide victory, winning 11 of the 12 elective seats in the Iloilo City Council and the mayoralty post.[1]
However, Team Sulong-Gugma secured a significant victory by winning the vice mayoralty race, defeating Team Uswag's incumbent Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, and retained the seat for Representative of the Iloilo City Lone District, in addition to gaining one seat in the city council.[2]
The election is expected to be competitive following the political return of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog, who served from 2010 to 2017. Mabilog left the Philippines in 2017 after the Duterte administration linked him to the illegal drug trade—allegations he consistently denied—and returned to the country in September 2024. In January 2025, President Bongbong Marcos granted him executive clemency, fully restoring his civil and political rights and fueling speculation of his return to local office.[3]
In May 2026, Mabilog was appointed as an Undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), a move seen by political analysts as a rehabilitation of his political image.[4] Rather than launching an independent bid, Mabilog aligned himself with the Baronda sisters of Team Sulong-Gugma serving as the team's campaign manager during the 2025 polls.[5]
Electoral system
[edit]Local elections in the Philippines are held in every second Monday of May, every three years starting in 1992. Single-seat positions (mayor, vice mayor and House representative) are elected via first-past-the-post-voting. The city mayor, city vice mayor, city councilors, and the House representative are elected by the city at-large.
City council elections are done via plurality block voting. There are two other ex officio seats, from the city presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan; these will be determined later in the year at the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Voters in Iloilo City shall also elect the president, vice president, senators and party-list representatives on this day.
Mayoral election
[edit]The incumbent mayor is Raisa Treñas-Chu, who was elected for her first term in 2025 with 69.37% of the vote. Treñas-Chu is eligible for reelection to a second term.[6]
Candidates
[edit]Speculated
[edit]- Raisa Treñas-Chu (NUP), incumbent mayor of Iloilo City since 2025[7]
Potential
[edit]- Julienne Baronda (Lakas), incumbent house representative of the lone legislative district of Iloilo City since 2019
- Jed Patrick Mabilog (Independent), incumbent DILG undersecretary and former mayor of Iloilo City (2010-2017)
Vice mayoral election
[edit]The incumbent Vice mayor is Lady Julie Grace "Love-love" Baronda, who was elected in 2025 with 52.19% of the vote. Baronda is eligible for reelection to a second term.[6]
Candidates
[edit]Speculated
[edit]Potential
[edit]- Love-love Baronda (Lakas), incumbent vice mayor of Iloilo City since 2025
City Council election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Councilors Lyndon Acap, Sedfrey Cabaluna, Nene Dela Llana, Sheen Marie Mabilog, Mandrie Malabor, Rex Sarabia, Miguel Treñas and Johnny Young are eligible for reelection, while Councilors Romel Duron, Rudolph Ganzon, Frances Grace Parcon and Alan Zaldivar will be term-limited.
Term-limited
[edit]Potential
[edit]- Lyndon Acap (NUP), incumbent city councilor
- Arnel Asturias (Independent), Lapuz ABC President[5]
- Nene Dela Llana (PFP), incumbent city councilor
- Ely Estante (NUP), executive assistant for market and slaughterhouse concerns, former city councilor[5]
- Gerald Ganzon (Independent), son of former Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon and brother of term-limited councilor Rudolph Ganzon[5]
- Sheen Marie Mabilog (Lakas), incumbent city councilor
- Mandrie Malabor (NUP), incumbent city councilor
- Shiella Olid (PFP), 2025 city councilor candidate[5]
- Kesha Pesina-Tupas (Independent), 2025 city councilor candidate, daughter of former city councilor Antonio Pesina Jr.[5]
- Rex Sarabia (NUP), incumbent city councilor
- Jay Treñas (NUP), executive assistant to the mayor, former city councilor[5]
- Johnny Young (PFP), incumbent city councilor
- Sol Zaldivar (Independent), sister of term-limited councilor Alan Zaldivar[5]
Declined
[edit]- Candice Magdalene Tupas (LDP), executive assistant for medical tourism, former city councilor
- Tupas said she will not run in the 2028 elections because there will be a good number of people running for the Iloilo City Council, and she will not be one of them.[8]
House of Representatives elections
[edit]Incumbent Iloilo City Lone District Representative Julienne "Jam-Jam" Baronda will be term-limited. She was elected in 2025 with 78.13% of the vote.[6]
Candidates
[edit]Speculated
[edit]Potential
[edit]- Love-love Baronda (Lakas), incumbent vice mayor of Iloilo City since 2025
- Jed Patrick Mabilog (Independent), incumbent DILG undersecretary and former mayor of Iloilo City (2010-2017)
References
[edit]- ^ Latoza, Reymar (May 13, 2025). "Team Uswag dominates Iloilo City polls". IMT News. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Castor, Rjay Zuriaga (May 13, 2025). "Babae Naman: All-women leaders to lead Iloilo City's top posts; Team Uswag sweeps City Council race". Daily Guardian. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Leda, Allaine Kate; Gascon, Melvin (January 28, 2025). "Marcos grants clemency to ex-Iloilo City mayor". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (May 13, 2026). "Ex-Iloilo mayor Mabilog joins DILG as undersecretary". Philippine News Agency. Philippine News Agency. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Castor, Rjay Zuriaga (May 13, 2026). "'EARLY EDITION': Iloilo City pols tease 2028 lineups two years out". Daily Guardian. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ a b c Lena, Perla (May 13, 2025). "Iloilo City chooses women for top 3 posts". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ a b c Gajete, Ian (May 20, 2026). "Line-up sang Team Uswag sa 2028 elections, gina-review pa". Bombo Radyo Iloilo. Bombo Radyo Philippines. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Former city councilor Candice Tupas indi magpadalagan sa 2028 elections". Facebook. Panay News. June 1, 2026. Retrieved June 1, 2026.