Isko Moreno

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The Honorable Isko Moreno
Official portrait of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno
22nd Mayor of Manila
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2019
Vice Mayor	Honey Lacuna
Preceded by	Joseph Estrada
Undersecretary of Social Welfare and Development for Luzon Affairs
In office May 11, 2018 – October 11, 2018
President	Rodrigo Duterte
Chairman of the Board of the North Luzon Railways Corporation (NorthRail)
In office July 1, 2017 – October 27, 2017
President	Rodrigo Duterte
22nd Vice Mayor of Manila
In office June 30, 2007 – June 30, 2016
Mayor	Alfredo Lim (2007–2013) Joseph Estrada (2013–2016)
Preceded by	Danny Lacuna
Succeeded by	Honey Lacuna
Member of the Manila City Council from the 1st district
In office June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2007
Personal details
Born	Francisco Moreno Domagoso[1][2] (1974-10-24) October 24, 1974 (age 46) Tondo, Manila, Philippines
Political party	Aksyon Demokratiko (2021–present)[3] Asenso Manileño (local party; 1998–present)
Other political affiliations	NUP (2016–2021)[4] PMP (2014–2016) UNA (2010–2014) Nacionalista (2006–2010)
Spouse(s)	Diana Lynn Ditan ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	5
Residence	Tondo, Manila
Education	Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (BS) Arellano University
Occupation	Actor, Politician
Signature

Francisco Moreno Domagoso (born October 24, 1974), also known by his screen name Isko Moreno, is a Filipino politician and actor serving as the 22nd mayor of Manila since 2019. Before becoming mayor, he served as a former three-term councilor of the city's first legislative district from 1998 to 2007, Vice Mayor of Manila from 2007 to 2016, Chairman of North Luzon Railways Corporation from July 2017 to October 2017 and more recently as Undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for Luzon Affairs from May 2018 to October 2018.

As an actor, Moreno gained fame as a matinee idol due to his boyish features.^[5] As mayor, he is noted for his stance on law and order similar to his predecessor Alfredo Lim, and brash demeanor and streetwise public image due to his use of colorful language coupled with Manila street slang.^[6][7] As a result, he is referred to as Yorme,^[6] a metathesis of the Filipino-language word meyor (mayor) that has been in existence as a street slang.

Early life[]

Moreno is the only child of Joaquin Domagoso (a stevedore from Antique province at Manila's North Harbor) and Rosario Moreno (1946–2020) from Allen, Northern Samar.^[8][9] At age 10, he found alternative sources of income including pushing a cart and going house-to-house to gather old newspapers and used bottles, then reselling them to a local junk dealer.^[10] He also rummaged through restaurant garbage bins for leftover food, which his mother would recook for dinner.^[5]

Acting career[]

Moreno caught the attention of talent scout Wowie Roxas in 1993 while attending a funeral in Tondo and was then persuaded to join show business.^[9][11] He was part of That's Entertainment, a daily variety show featuring German Moreno's stable of aspiring teenage actors, under the screen name Isko Moreno.^[5] His major break came in 1993 when he was cast in a cameo role in the romantic movie May Minamahal and became a leading man to Claudine Barretto in Muntik na Kitang Minahal a year later.^[11]

He later became known for his mature roles during his short stint in the "titillating films" genre that was prevalent in the country during the 1990s^[5] and appeared in Siya'y Nagdadalaga, and has appeared in movies such as Exploitation, Mga Babae sa Isla Azul and Misteryosa.^[12]

In 2004, he made an appearance on his life story featured by Maalaala Mo Kaya, where Danilo Barrios portrayed him. In 2005, during his third term as a councilor of Manila, he returned to acting as a kind-hearted priest in the television drama series Mga Anghel na Walang Langit .^[11] He also had a brief appearance in 2007 in the television drama series Bakekang.^[12] The following year during his first term as vice mayor, Moreno had a supporting role in the afternoon soap opera Ligaw na Bulaklak.

In 2014, he was featured as himself in a Japanese lifestyle variety show, Homecoming, during his vice-mayoralty days. He is a godfather of AKB48's half-Filipina half-Japanese member, Sayaka Akimoto, according to photo documentations by Akimoto's mother. He was interviewed in a show along with Akimoto and her mother and also Akimoto's co-member Mariko Shinoda and a comedian Hiroshi when they visited Manila.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019, Moreno appeared in the film 3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon! as Yorme, a former Mayor of Balete, Batangas, and leader of a horse ranch as well as an old friend of the Philippine President. He also made a cameo appearance in the 24th anniversary special of Bubble Gang.^[13]

Political career[]

Moreno started his political career when he was elected and sworn in as councilor for Manila's first legislative district in 1998. He was reelected in 2001 and 2004. In 2007, he became the city's vice mayor. He took a crash course in Local Legislation and Local Finance at the University of the Philippines Diliman.^[9] He then studied public administration at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) while fulfilling his alderman duties.^[5]

Moreno also attended short courses in leadership and governance at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and at the Said Business School, University of Oxford.^[14]

After his third and final term as city councilor, Moreno decided to run for vice mayor in 2007 under Asenso Manileño, with his mentor and outgoing Vice Mayor Danny Lacuna as his running mate and the mayoralty candidate.^[15] During his election campaign, he criticized what he called "black propaganda" by opponents, but did not pursue any charges.^[16] Moreno eventually won the elections, beating his closest rival by about 80,000 votes; however, Lacuna lost to Senator Alfredo Lim, a former Mayor himself.^[9] He was re-elected in 2010, this time as the running mate of incumbent Mayor Lim of the Liberal Party.

Moreno also serves as vice chairman of the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission. He studied law at Arellano University, but quit in his second year when he was elected as Vice Mayor of Manila.^[9][17]

Vice Mayor Moreno in 2012

In May 2012, Joseph Estrada, the former President of the Philippines, announced his intention to run for Mayor of Manila in the 2013 local election, but only for one term. He ran with Moreno, who was running for re-election as Vice Mayor.^[18] Estrada drove his famous “Jeep ni Erap” from San Juan to his new house at Altura, Santa Mesa, Manila to ceremonially launch his candidacy. He was joined by his wife, former Senator Loi Ejercito and Moreno.^[18] Moreno was successfully re-elected in 2013, with Estrada beating Lim as the new Mayor of Manila.

On February 16, 2013, Moreno and other five councilors were arrested by the police due to alleged bingo operations held in a public place. Moreno denied the bingo game was in a public place in Santa Cruz, Manila and believed that then-Mayor Lim was involved in his arrest and that the bingo game was not illegal. The day before, Lim and Estrada signed a "Peace Covenant" to prevent any election-related violence in the City of Manila.^[19]

In 2016, Moreno announced that he would run for Senator of the Philippines. He was named to the senatorial slate of Partido Galing at Puso coalition of presidential candidate and Senator Grace Poe. He lost in his bid, placing 16th overall. His term as vice mayor of Manila ended on June 30, 2016. He was succeeded by Honey Lacuna.

In July 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Moreno as chairman of the board of the North Luzon Railways Corporation (NorthRail). Moreno resigned from the post in October 2017.^[20] In May 2018, Moreno was appointed by Duterte as Undersecretary for Luzon Affairs at the Department of Social Welfare and Development. On October 11, 2018, he officially resigned from this post to run for Mayor of Manila in the 2019 elections.^[21]

Mayor of Manila[]

Moreno campaigning for mayor in 2019

Moreno currently serves as the mayor of Manila, beginning his tenure in 2019. In the local elections, he garnered more than 50% of the votes, defeating former Mayors Estrada and Lim.

City services[]

Moreno signed an ordinance that gives a monthly allowance of ₱1,000 to each student of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Universidad de Manila. Likewise, all Grade 12 students in all public schools in Manila will get a ₱500 monthly allowance to be received via "cash cards". To qualify, the student must be a resident and registered voter of the city, and that they do not incur a failing mark or commit misconduct in school. If the student is not yet of legal age to vote, his or her parent or guardian must be a registered voter to claim the monetary benefit.^[22]

Senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and solo parents who reside in the capital are entitled to a ₱500 monthly allowance. The elderly also would receive ₱800 and a cake as a birthday gift from the city government, on top of their ₱500 monthly allowance.^[23]

Infrastructure[]

Moreno's administration infrastructure projects include the redevelopment of the historic Jones Bridge to restore it to its near-original architecture,^[24] the construction of a 10-storey 384-bed building at the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center,^[25] and the redevelopment of Manila Zoo which is set to open in 2021.^[26]

Public housing for the homeless and city employees was one of the campaign promises of Moreno, and his administration oversaw the construction of high-rise in-city housing projects such as the Tondominium 1 and 2,^[27] and Binondominium.^[28]

COVID-19 pandemic[]

Moreno (far left), with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (center) and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (far right) during the Ninoy Aquino Stadium COVID-19 quarantine inspection

Cleanup drive[]

Moreno oversaw the cleaning of congested and besmirched streets of Manila.^[29] He ordered the clearing of city streets from ambulant vendors to address the city’s congestion problem and waste management. The clearing of the streets from hawkers and illegal venders paved the way for stopping the felonious operations of extortionists from vendors and hawkers. It also exposed derelict heritage sites within the city, some of which became debauched through human actions.^[30]

Illegally built infrastructures, including government edifices which impedes the movement of motorists and pedestrians were ordered to be demolished.^[31] His cleanup drive of Manila North Cemetery after the traditional All Souls' day garnered attention from thousands of people online^[32]and spurred a nationwide implementation of the same approach to city decongestion.

During his last State of the Nation address in July, President Rodrigo Duterte also echoed Moreno’s initiative, ordering the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to “reclaim all public roads that are being used for private ends."^[33]” Taking the cue, DILG soon released Memorandum Circular 2019-121^[34] on July 29 directing all city governments nationwide to undertake clearing operations of their own along public roads. The memo issued a 60-day deadline for the cities to achieve significant results.^[31] Those that failed to comply were given cause orders by the DILG. While the deadline has now since expired, the DILG has since announced that, while only 97 mayors failed to comply, an astounding 1,148 cities made strides to varying degrees, and a total of 612 roads cleared and are now passable and can be used by the public.^[35]

On October 8, 2019, Moreno signed Executive Order No. 43 mandating all 896 barangays and frontline City Hall offices to conduct a weekly clean-up drive as he was delivering “The Capital Report: The First 100 Days of Bagong Maynila” before members of the City Development Council at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).^[36] In support of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s directive to clear all public roads and sidewalks of obstructions, the Department of Public Services (DPS), Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) and Manila Police District have been consistently conducting clearing operations, even after the 60-day deadline set by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Likewise, for the past 100 days, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office(MDRRMO) has also been conducting daily flushing operations in the streets of the nation’s capital.^[36]

Moreno also spearheaded the cleaning of Manila's sewers^[37] and the removal of dilapidated, rusting and senescent barges off the Pasig River.^[38] He also led the cleanup of waters around Baseco Compound, which took 10 days, including weekends, to collect more than 30,000 kilograms of garbage.^[39] Regular cleanup has been done in Manila Bay and Pasig River ever since.

Under Moreno's "May Pera Sa Basura" program "Kolek, Kilo Kita", in partnership with private firms and the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC), the waste collection program was incentivized, further aiming to call the residents to partner with the government to lessen and abate the trash located in the Pasig River. For every one kilo of plastic collected, Unilever Philippines, shall in return, exchange PHP10 worth of homecare products.^[40]

Political positions[]

Vandalism[]

Moreno is famous for the mass cleaning and beautification of the city of Manila. He was also known for his consistent and controversial stand against vandalism and unauthorized tarpaulins.^[41]

On November 12, 2019, the left-leaning group Panday Sining, the cultural arm of Anakbayan, defaced the newly-painted and cleaned Lagusnilad Underpass located near the Manila City Hall. Moreno slammed the group publicly and rejected their apology. The mayor also proceeded with their arrest after another act of vandalism in LRT Recto Station was attributed to the group. Panday Sining was officially declared as "persona non grata" in the city of Manila on December 6, 2019 Many left-leaning groups condemned the mayor's actions against them.^[42]

In October 2020, Moreno ordered the removal of the tarpaulins declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines, as well as the New People's Army and the National Democratic Front, as persona non grata in the National Capital Region.^[43] However this event prompted Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict to ask if Mayor Isko is welcoming terrorists into Manila.^[44]

The city government stressed that they were uninformed of the hanging of tarpaulins all around the city. Moreno then added that they have to remove the tarpaulins as they have an ordinance against all forms of vandalism. He clarified that there was "no politics" on his order and that he was merely maintaining the cleanliness of the city.^[45]

When pressed further, Parlade denied that he was behind hanging the tarpaulins.^[46]

On December 7, 2020, in an interview posted on YouTube, Moreno vehemently denied any support for or affiliation with the terrorist groups. He added that he has its full allegiance to the Philippine flag - to the country and not to anyone else. A few days after, the mayor publicly slammed and ordered the removal of graffiti painted by leftist sympathizers around Welcome Rotonda.^[47]

LGBT+ rights[]

On October 2020, Moreno signed an ordinance protecting members of the LGBT community from discrimination and abuse, including the denial of employment and other opportunities on the basis of the person's sexual gender identity.^[48]

However, he clarified in an interview that he is not in favor of same-sex marriage. He added that it is our law and in a civilized world, we are guided by the law.^[49]

Trust ratings[]

In a December 2020 yearend face-to-face survey conducted by RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc., Moreno earned 77% approval rating from the city's constituents, becoming the third top-performing mayor in the National Capital Region after Joy Belmonte (Quezon City) with 85%, and Vico Sotto (Pasig) with 82%.^[50]

Personal life[]

Moreno has been married to Diana Lynn Ditan, a businesswoman, since 2000. They have five children.^[51] On August 15, 2021, Moreno tested positive for COVID-19.^[52]

Electoral history[]

Senatorial election, 2016:

• Isko Moreno Domagoso (PMP) – 11,126,944 (16th, 12 candidates with the highest number of votes win the 12 seats in the Senate)

References[]

External links[]

• Official website of the City of Manila, Mayor section
• Isko Moreno at IMDb