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One Cebu (1-CEBU) is a provincial
political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...
based in the province of
Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
. It is headed by
Gwendolyn Garcia Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia-Codilla (born October 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician who has served as the 24th governor of Cebu since 2019. She previously held the position from 2004 to 2013 and served as the representative for Cebu's third distr ...
, governor of
Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
.


History


Formation and 2007 elections

The party was formed in response to the '' Sugbuak'', or the failed Cebu-split movement, in time for the 2007 general elections. A brainchild of three Cebuano representatives who were in their last terms of office, ''Sugbuak'' entailed the supposed splitting of Cebu province into four independent provinces. In founding One Cebu, the Garcia family and their supporters capitalized on the widespread opposition to the ''Sugbuak'' movement, declaring that there is only one Cebu; hence, the party's name. They later left the Lakas—Christian Muslim Democrats, once the dominant majority party in national politics, and joined former President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
's political party, the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI). The party's strength was further bolstered by internal alliances with the ''Alayon Alang sa Kalambuan ug Kalinaw'' (Alayon) party in the first district, led by the Gullas family, and the '' Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya'' (BAKUD) party of the Durano family in the fifth district. This led to Governor
Gwendolyn Garcia Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia-Codilla (born October 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician who has served as the 24th governor of Cebu since 2019. She previously held the position from 2004 to 2013 and served as the representative for Cebu's third distr ...
's wide margin — around half a million votes — in the votes cast for governor in the 2007 elections.


2010 National and Local Elections

In the 2010 national elections, One Cebu strongly campaigned for the candidacy of Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro, Jr., the standard bearer of the now-merged Lakas–Kampi. Gov. Garcia promised that Cebu will give 1 million votes to Teodoro, but local election results showed the latter behind then presumptive president-elect Aquino who got more than 400,000 votes. Gov. Garcia selected businessman Glenn Anthony Soco to be her running mate in the 2010 elections. Gov. Garcia and Soco are said to have a 'romantic relationship,' which created much media hype. The vice gubernatorial hopeful, however, still lost to the late former vice governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr., who is the founding vice president of One Cebu. Sanchez later bolted out of Gov. Garcia's group after One Cebu welcomed Tuburan, Cebu mayor Constancio Suezo and his team as party members. The former vice governor was against the inclusion of Suezo's group after they allegedly failed to maintain the peace and order situation in the town. A year after
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
was elected
President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
in 2010, One Cebu again switched party allegiance— this time, to the newly-founded National Unity Party (NUP), which former Cebu governor Pablo Garcia founded.


2013 Local Elections

In 2010, Rep. Pablo John "PJ" Garcia, the governor's brother, announced that he and Soco will be One Cebu’s candidates for governor and vice governor, respectively, in the 2013 local elections. But in May 2011, Pablo John said he decided not to run for governor because he wants to continue serving his home district.


2016 National Elections

The party joint-forces with the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay to form a local coalition for the 2016 national elections. The coalition was launched on February 16, 2016 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino. One Cebu later withdrew support for Binay and his party UNA on March 21, 2016. On April 2, 2016, One Cebu has announced that they will support the presidential candidacy of
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
Mayor
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
. The party has pledged to deliver more than 1 million votes for the Visayan candidate. The alliance between One Cebu and Duterte was launched on April 21, 2016.
Winston Garcia Winston Fiel Garcia (born May 21, 1958) is a Filipino lawyer, and corporate leader who has served as the director and board member of several of the biggest institutions in the Philippines such as the Philippine Stock Exchange, San Miguel Corporat ...
, a former Provincial Board Member and former chairman of GSIS during the Arroyo administration was fielded for the gubernatorial post in the province with Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz, former Sixth District congresswoman, running for the vice gubernatorial post. Garcia and Soon-Ruiz were defeated by incumbent Governor
Hilario Davide III Hilario "Junjun" Perez Davide III (born August 25, 1964) is a Filipino politician and lawyer who is the incumbent vice governor of Cebu. He served as a governor of Cebu Province from 2013 to 2019. He is the son of former Chief Justice Hilario ...
and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale.


2022 elections

After several months, Gwen Garcia officially endorsed the
tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...
of
Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
and
Sara Duterte Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president (after Gloria Macap ...
for upcoming 2022 presidential elections. The endorsement of Marcos and Duterte caused PJ Garcia (one of the political supporters of Isko Moreno's
presidential campaign A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referen ...
) to step down as secretary-general of the party, but PJ Garcia one said that he will still support and campaign for all of the 1-Cebu candidates (especially on their district). Lolypop Ouano-Dizon appointed as interim secretary general. After of the election, the fear of Sugbuak constantly gaining momentum, as another set proposal of the movements arose in July 2022, with Mactan Island, as a separate province.


2025 elections

PJ Garcia returned as secretary general, and will run for reelection seeking final term, with his sister Gwen seeking again the governors' office. But, PJ Garcia withdrawn on October 8, 2025 citing his personal projects' advancement, and tapped his wife Karen Flores-Garcia who won unopposed, and Gwen Garcia was defeated by a neophyte Duterte-endorsed candidate Pam Baricuatro. Glen Soco won the vice gubernatorial race and 1-Cebu snapped 12 seats in the provincial board.


Representation in the Congress

As of the last
elections An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...
for the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
, One Cebu holds 7 out of 277 seats. Cebu's six congressional districts and the newly created district of Lapu-Lapu City are currently represented by the following members of One Cebu: *Rep. Rhea Mae Gullas (1st District) *Rep. Atty. Pablo John F. Garcia (3rd District) *Rep. Janice Z. Salimbangon (4th District) *Rep. Vincent Franco D. Frasco (5th District) *Rep. Daphne A. Lagon (6th District) *Rep. Emmarie M. Ouano-Dizon (Lone District of Mandaue City) One Cebu also dominates the provincial council with Gov. Garcia and Vice Governor candidate Daphne Salimbangon leading a large majority of ''Sangguniang Panlalawigan'' members, plus the presidents of the local
Liga ng mga Barangay The Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (League of Barangays in the Philippines) and the Asosasyon ng mga Kapitan ng Barangay (Association of Barangay Captains, ABC) are formal organizations of all the barangays in the Philippines. Presently, alm ...
,
Sangguniang Kabataan A Sangguniang Kabataan (abbreviated as SK; ) is a community council that represents the youth in a barangay in the Philippines. Established to provide young people with a platform for civic engagement and participation in Local government in ...
and the Councilors' League. In the local level, the party has the backing of 31 out of 53 city and municipal mayors throughout Cebu.


Electoral performance


Notes


References

{{Philippine political parties Conservative parties in the Philippines
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
Local political parties in the Philippines Politics of Cebu