Beng Climaco

Maria Isabelle Climaco Salazar (born Maria Isabelle Garcia Climaco, September 7, 1966), also known as Beng Climaco, is a Filipino politician, who is currently serving as the Vice Mayor of Zamboanga City in Mindanao, Philippines. Prior to this she was the former Mayor for 3 terms, councilor of the city's 1st district for two terms, and also the vice mayor from 2004-2007. She is the second woman to become a mayor of Zamboanga City. She unsuccessfully sought for a seat representing the 1st District of Zamboanga City in 2022 and before making a comeback by winning the vice mayoral election in 2025.

She is the second woman to become mayor of Zamboanga City. After an unsuccessful bid for the 1st District congressional seat in 2022, she made a comeback by winning the vice mayoral election in 2025 with a decisive margin under the Adelante Zamboanga Party.

Early life and family Beng Climaco is the daughter of former Vice Mayor Jose Climaco and the niece of former Mayor Cesar Climaco.

Education She is a graduate of Parsippany Hills High School in Parsippany–Troy Hills, New Jersey, in the United States. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Ateneo de Zamboanga University and her Masters in family counseling from Ateneo de Manila University. She was a guidance counselor and taught English and Religion at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University. in this Congress which was passed as a law August 2009. Likewise, she also spearheaded the Lady Legislators of the 14th Congress, in launching Pink October, the first-ever breast cancer awareness and prevention campaign in the House of Representatives.

Second term, 2010-2013 In her second term, Representative Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar was elected as House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao.

City Mayor, 2013-2022

Mayor Climaco (first to the right) honors and recognizes weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz (second to the left) and Nestor Colonia (second to the right) in September 2015.

In 2013, Climaco was elected as Mayor of Zamboanga City.

In the 2022 Zamboanga City local elections, Climaco ran for the 1st District congressional seat but was unsuccessful. She made a political comeback in the 2025 elections, running for vice mayor under the Adelante Zamboanga Party (AZAP). She won decisively with 216,261 votes (62.88%), defeating Lakas–CMD candidate Vino Guingona (119,826 votes / 34.84%) and independent Sophia Taup. She assumed office on June 30, 2025, serving alongside Mayor Khymer Olaso. to honor the influence has had in her life.