Honey Lacuna

Maria Sheilah Honrado "Honey" Lacuna–Pangan (born May 6, 1965) is a Filipina physician and politician who is currently serving as the Mayor of Manila since 2022. Lacuna was born on May 6, 1965 in Manila to Danilo "Danny" Lacuna, a lawyer who would later serve as a city councilor (1967–1975) and vice mayor of Manila (1970–1971; 1988–1992; 1998–2007), and Melanie Honrado, a former Philippine National Bank (PNB) executive. She earned a biology degree at the University of Santo Tomas, earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from De La Salle University – Emilio Aguinaldo College, passed the physician board examination in 1992, and completed her residency training in dermatology at the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center. She eventually became a fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society. A general practitioner with specialization in dermatology by profession, Lacuna worked as a resident physician of the dermatology department of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center from 1992 to 1995 and as the public health center physician under the Manila Health Department from 1995 to 2004. As the latter, she was assigned to the Bacood Health Center in Santa Mesa and later to the Tondo Health Center in Tondo. Her father, then Vice Mayor Danny Lacuna, then tasked her to head the medical team of his office's regular medical and dental mission conducted every week in various depressed communities in Manila. She served as the Acting City Social Welfare Officer of Manila from 2013 to 2015. Even as a politician, Lacuna continued her door-to-door visit to patients that she has been doing since before entering politics. Lacuna then entered politics when she substituted a candidate for councilor in the 4th district of Manila who withdrew from the race ahead of the 2004 city elections. She ran under the ticket of her father, who was the running mate of former mayor Mel Lopez of Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino. She then won, serving as a Manila city councilor from the 4th district for three consecutive terms from 2004 to 2013.