Isko Moreno

Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso (Tagalog pronunciation: [isˈkɔʔ mɔˈɾɛ.nɔ dɔ.maˈɡɔ.sɔ]; born October 24, 1974) is a Filipino politician, actor, host and entrepreneur who is the mayor-elect of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, having been elected in 2025. He previously served as the 23rd mayor of Manila from 2019 to 2022. Before entering politics, Moreno first gained notability as an actor and television personality.

Moreno was born and raised in the slums of Tondo, Manila, and spent his childhood in poverty. After a modest career in show business, he entered politics in 1998, standing for election as a city councilor of Manila; he was elected for three consecutive terms. He then pursued higher education, including some non-degree postgraduate education at Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford Saïd Business School. In 2007, he was elected as vice mayor of Manila for the first of three consecutive terms. In 2016, he was term-limited as vice mayor and unsuccessfully ran for senator in the 2016 senatorial elections, placing 16th out of 50 candidates. He then served in the cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as social welfare undersecretary for a few months in 2018, before successfully standing as mayor of Manila, winning in a landslide victory against his former allies Joseph Estrada and Alfredo Lim in the 2019 local elections becoming the youngest elected mayor of Manila since the People Power Revolution.

Moreno is widely regarded as one of the top-performing local chief executives in the Philippines; he has described his leadership style as akin to that of his predecessor Alfredo Lim, citing their shared commitment to reducing crime and maintaining the cleanliness of the capital. Moreno is also noted for his streetwise public image due to his use of colorful language coupled with Manila street slang. As a result, he is colloquially referred to as Yorme. His political career has been met with positive-to-mixed critical reception, gaining praise for his political will, efficiency, hands-on leadership, people skills, non-partisanism on designations, and results-oriented performance, but criticism for his sporadic spontaneous outspoken remarks, over-the-top populist tendencies, and lack of permanence to a national political party, although he remained a constant member since the inception of Asenso Manileño until 2024, a local party he co-founded.

In September 2021, Moreno announced his bid for the Philippine presidency in the 2022 presidential election, in which he finished fourth out of 10 candidates.

Having served in the government for 24 years, Moreno has received numerous recognitions for his public service. He is widely credited for "restoring Manila to its former glory within a short period of time", despite disinformation against him by political rivals. He is generally known for his firm implementation of city services, beautification of derelict historical sites, and leading the establishment of city infrastructure. He announced his first retirement from politics after his mayoral term ended on June 30, 2022 and ventured into business, content creation, and television hosting. In 2024, Moreno announced his return to politics, running once again for Mayor of Manila in the 2025 Philippine general election. He regained the mayoralty through a landslide victory, defeating erstwhile ally and incumbent Mayor Honey Lacuna.