CEBU CITY, Philippines – Long before he toppled political giants in the 2025 Cebu City mayoral race, Nestor Archival Sr. was a barefoot schoolboy trudging through the muddy roads of Barangay Sirao.
Born to a farmer and a public school teacher, Archival grew up in the uplands of Cebu with no political pedigree and no promise of privilege.
What he had instead was grit and a childhood that taught him the value of hard work, perseverance, and education.
“Niingon akong Mama, ‘Gusto ba ka mag-farmer? Then you go farming.’ But she also said, ‘Bahala’g 75 basta maka-eskwela,’” Archival recalled in an interview on May 20.
READ: Nestor Archival topples Mike Rama, Raymond Garcia in Cebu City
Archival took that to heart. Their house in Sirao was a kilometer away from school, and the muddy trail offered no comfort.
He wore mismatched footwear, a wooden bakya on one foot, a plastic “Dragon” sandal on the other, switching between them as needed.
“When it rained, the mud was so bad, we relied on our neighbor’s pick-up to get to school. That’s when I promised myself: someday, I’ll become an engineer so I can buy my own vehicle,” Archival shared.
That dream pushed him through high school at Abellana National School and later to the University of San Carlos, where he pursued engineering.
He carried rice and dried shrimp enclosed in banana leaves for his midday meal and frequently dined alone in the bathroom due to embarrassment.
"Mouawa na nako, pero clean pa rin ang CR," he stated.
He was too impoverished to buy a graduation robe and almost missed his college commencement as a result. However, he convinced his mom to lend him some funds so he could sit for the board examination, which he aced and ultimately placed 16th nationally.
That moment, he said, marked the beginning of his mission to give back.
Archival's political path started from the ground up rather than within the corridors of authority. Engaged in student groups, he took on the role of Vice President for Student Affairs at San Carlos University.
In 1995, he contested for the position of Barangay Captain in Talamban but was unsuccessful. However, in 1996, he emerged victorious when running as a City Councilor under Mayor Alvin Garcia’s ticket.
In 1997, he became part of President Joseph Estrada’s party ticket, competing with various national and local candidates, yet he was defeated by a slim margin, ending up as the top-runner-up.
That defeat was eventually turned into an opportunity. In 2001, when Mayor Tomas Osmeña lost his council support due to changing political alignments, his counselors recommended bringing aboard "the top contender who didn't make the cut."
That was Archival.
That same year, he formally became part of Osmeña’s Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and has been with the party continuously since then.
“Tommy treated BOPK like a family — a father, a mother, and members who all take care of each other. That concept resonated with me,” Archival said.
Critics have called him a puppet of Osmeña. His response is both personal and philosophical.
“Maybe, in some sense, but how can you turn against someone you consider a father?” he said.
“We agreed that if I become mayor, there must be mutual respect. We’re partners, not subordinates,” Archival added.
On May 13, 2025, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed Archival as Cebu City’s new mayor, after he won by a wide margin in a tightly contested three-way race.
He garnered 256,197 votes, far ahead of second-placer Raymond Alvin Garcia with 176,967 and third-placer, former mayor Michael Rama, with 120,124.
It was a shocking upset in a city long dominated by established political families. What began as a hesitant campaign, marred by limited resources and little machinery, turned into a grassroots movement.
“I was hesitant at first. I didn’t have the funds or the machinery. When we started, five barangay captains supported us, but then it dropped to two. We had to start from the ground,” Archival shared.
Instead of relying on local officials, he went straight to the people.
“We met with groups of five, six, sometimes ten. House-to-house, lingkod-lingkod, we listened,” he said.
His campaign slogan, Serbisyo para sa masa, dili para sa bulsa (Service for the people, not for the pockets), struck a chord with voters frustrated by patronage politics.
Vice Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña, who came out of retirement to support Archival’s candidacy, described the victory as a win of principles over patronage.
"This is about money against an idea — and the idea emerged victorious," Osmeña stated.
Archival plans to bring an engineer’s mindset to public service — focused, solution-oriented, and results-driven. His top priorities include addressing flooding, improving traffic management, modernizing waste disposal, and ensuring access to quality education.
He mentioned, 'Similar to how it’s done in engineering, we begin with the final objective in mind, work backwards in our planning, and execute efficiently all while ensuring revenues aren’t affected.'
He likewise highlighted enduring answers instead of single-instance handouts.
“We’re not offering one-week handouts. We’re offering programs that last,” he said.
As a member of the city council, Archival contributed his salary to aid students and supported emergency response initiatives via his Nestor Archival Rescue and Fire (NARF) foundation. He intends to broaden the scope of these efforts.
"My upbringing as a farmer's son, along with my journey as an engineer and entrepreneur—these experiences provide me with a distinct viewpoint. I am able to connect with both everyday people and the business sector. This is what sets me apart," he stated.