The Governor of Oriental Negros is the local chief executive and head of the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental. Along with the Governor of Negros Occidental and the Mayor of the highly urbanized city of Bacolod, he sits as one of the chief executives of Negros Island.
Formation Before the establishment of the Republic, the position had been occupied by appointed Spanish military commanders that also serve the role of Governor since the transfer of the capital to Bacolod in 1849. Previously, the local chief executive post was vested on the "Corregidor," or the commander of the military outpost, in the two previous capitals of Ilog, Negros Occidental and Himamaylan. When the island was divided into two provinces, the Military Governor designated Dumaguete as the provincial capital.
After the Negros Revolution, all provincial authority divested on the Office of the President and Vice President, representing Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. Americans occupied the fledgling republic and requested the provisional government to conduct an island-wide election for the gubernatorial post. Melecio Severino of Silay emerged as the first elected governor for the whole island. But upon the dissolution of the republic, Demetrio Larena, the former Vice-President of the Republic of Negros was appointed Governor.
Duties and related offices By the convention set for the newly created Negros Island Region, the Governor of Negros Oriental sits as chairperson of one of the two regional councils, namely the Regional Development Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council.
List of governors Spanish governors of Negros province From the formal establishment of the military outpost in the pueblo of Ilog until the promulgation of a royal decree dividing the island into Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental on October 25, 1889, Negros Island was governed as a single province starting from being under the jurisdiction of Oton, Iloilo until it established its capitals in Ilog (1734), Himamaylan (1795) and Bacolod (1849). Order Name Year in office Title Capital Governor-General 1 Pedro de Alcaraz 1625-1627 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Fernándo de Silva 2 Jerónimo Venegas 1627-1629 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Juan Niño de Tabora 3 Juan de León 1629-1631 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Juan Niño de Tabora -- -- 1631-1652 Direct administration by the Alcalde Mayor of Iloilo Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Juan Niño de TaboraLorenzo de OlazaJuan Cerezo de SalamancaSebastián Hurtado de CorcueraDiego Fajardo Chacón 4 Juan Ferrer 1652-1666 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Diego Fajardo ChacónSabiniano Manrique de LaraDiego de Salcedo 5 Pedro de Tortosa 1666-1668 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Diego de Salcedo 6 Jacinto Rivera 1668-1669 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Juan Manuel de la Peña Bonifaz 7 Nicolas Jurado 1669-1671 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Manuel de León 8 Agustin Martínez 1671-1673 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Manuel de León -- -- 1673-1699 Direct administration by the Alcalde Mayor of Iloilo Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Manuel de LeónFrancisco ColomaFrancisco Sotomayor y MansillaJuan de Vargas y HurtadoGabriel de Curuzealegui y ArriolaAlonso de Avila FuertesFausto Cruzat y Gongora 9 Francisco Tabares 1699-1701 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Fausto Cruzat y Gongora 10 Ramon Díaz Ruizbobo 1701-1703 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri 11 Felix de Cabrera 1703-1705 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri -- -- 1705-1709 Direct administration by the Alcalde Mayor of Iloilo Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri 12 Francisco de Figueroa 1709-1711 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Martín de Urzúa y Arizmendi 13 Bartolome Gallardo 1711-1714 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Martín de Urzúa y Arizmendi 14 Ricardo Ricarte 1714- 1716 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Martín de Urzúa y ArizmendiJosé Torralba 15 Juan Bautista de Sameta 1716-1718 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda -- -- 1718-1719 Direct administration by the Alcalde Mayor of Iloilo Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda 16 Fernando de Rojas y Mendoza 1719-1721 Corregidor Ilog (de facto)Administered from Arevalo Francisco de la Cuesta 17 -- 1721-1779 Direct administration by the Alcalde Mayor of Iloilo Ilog (de jure)Administered from Arevalo Francisco de la CuestaToribio José Cosio y CampoFernándo Valdés y TamonGaspar de la TorreJuan ArrechederraFrancisco José de OvandoPedro Manuel de Arandía SantistebanMiguel Lino de EzpeletaManuel Rojo del Río y VieyraSimón de Anda y Salazar(first)Dawsonne Drake (British Occupation)Francisco Javier de la TorreJosé Antonio Raón y GutiérrezSimón de Anda y Salazar(second)Pedro de SarrioJosé Basco y Vargas 18 Felipe de Zúñiga 1779-1785 (first)1789-1790 (second) Corregidor Ilog José Basco y Vargas 19 Mariano Escote 1785-1787 Corregidor Ilog José Basco y Vargas 20 Vicente Escote 1787-1789 Corregidor Ilog Pedro de SarrioFélix Berenguer de Marquina 22 Jose de Arriola 1790- 1793 Corregidor Ilog Félix Berenguer de Marquina 23 Ramón de Zúñiga 1793-1799 Corregidor Himamaylan Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León 24 Jose Casteu 1799-1803 Corregidor Himamaylan Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León 25 Simón Matías de Rojas 1803-1806 Corregidor Himamaylan Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León 26 Carlos Casares 1806-1810 Corregidor Himamaylan Mariano Fernández de Folgueras 27 Ciriaco Lladoc 1810-1814 (first)1818-1821 (second) Corregidor Himamaylan Manuel Gonzalez de Aguilar(first)Mariano Fernández de Folgueras(second) 28 Jose Maria de Torres 1814-1818 Corregidor Himamaylan José Gardoqui Jaraveitia 30 Fernando Cuervo 1821-1824 Corregidor Himamaylan Mariano Fernández de FolguerasJuan Antonio Martínez 31 Camilo Peña García 1824-1827 Corregidor Himamaylan Juan Antonio MartínezMariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca -- -- 1827-1829 Direct administration by the Spanish Governor of Iloilo Himamaylan Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca 32 Juan de Córdova 1829-1833 Corregidor Himamaylan Mariano Ricafort Palacín y AbarcaPasqual Enrile y Alcedo 33 Luis Villasís 1833-1839 Corregidor Himamaylan Pasqual Enrile y AlcedoGabriel de TorresJoaquín de CrámerPedro Antonio Salazar Castillo y VaronaAndrés García CambaLuis Lardizábal 34 Mariano Valero Soto 1839- 1842 Alcalde Mayor Himamaylan Luis LardizábalMarcelino de Oraá Lecumberri 35 Jose Sáenz de Vizmanos 1842- 1848 Alcalde Mayor Himamaylan Marcelino de Oraá LecumberriFrancisco de Paula Alcalá de la TorreNarciso Clavería 36 Manuel Valdivieso Morquecho 1848-1854 Alcalde Mayor Bacolod Narciso ClaveríaAntonio María BlancoAntonio de Urbistondo y EguíaRamón Montero y BlandinoManuel PavíaRamón Montero y BlandinoManuel Crespo y Cebrían 37 José Luis Ceacero Inguanzo 1854-1855 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Manuel Crespo y CebríanRamón Montero y Blandino 38 Emilio Saravia 1855-1857 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Manuel Crespo y CebríanRamón Montero y Blandino 39 Pedro de Beaumont 1857-1860 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Fernándo Norzagaray y Escudero 40 Beremundo Aranda 1860-1864 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Ramón María Solano y LlanderalJuan Herrera DávilaJosé Lemery e Ibarrola Ney y GonzálezSalvador ValdésRafaél de Echagüe y Bermingham 41 Jose de Cramé 1864-1865 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Rafaél de Echagüe y Bermingham 42 Joaquin Vidal 1865- 1866 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Joaquín del Solar e Ibáñez (first)Juan de Lara e Irigoyen 43 Juan Gil Montes 1866-1867 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod José Laureano de Sanz y PosseJuan Antonio OsorioJoaquín del Solar e Ibáñez(second)José de la Gándara y Navarro 44 Antonio Vázquez Cuenca 1867 Gobernador Politico-Militar (Interim) Bacolod José de la Gándara y Navarro 45 Eugenio Serrano 1867-1868 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod José de la Gándara y Navarro 46 Enrique Fajardo 1868-1869 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod José de la Gándara y Navarro 47 Francisco Jáudenes 1869- 1871 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Manuel Maldonado (Republican Governor General)Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada (Republican Governor General) 48 Domingo García 1871-1873 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Rafael de Izquierdo y Gutíerrez 49 Miguel Masgrao 1873 Gobernador Politico-Militar (Interim) Bacolod Rafael de Izquierdo y Gutíerrez 50 Federico Lemeyer 1873-1875 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Juan Alaminos y VivarManuel Blanco ValderramaJosé Malcampo y Monje 51 Román Pastor 1875-1877 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod José Malcampo y Monje 52 Juan Blake 1877-1878 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Domingo Moriones y Murillo 53 Ramon Estevánez 1878-1883 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Domingo Moriones y MurilloRafael Rodríguez AriasFernando Primo de Rivera 54 Eduardo Subinza 1883-1885 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Emilio MolínsJoaquín Jovellar 55 Antonio Tovar y Marcoleta, comandante de infantería 1885-1889 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Emilio Terrero y Perinat 56 Fernando Giralt 1889-1890 Gobernador Politico-Militar Bacolod Emilio Terrero y PerinatAntonio MoltóFederico LobatónValeriano Wéyler
Spanish governors of Negros Oriental Governor General Valeriano Wéyler promulgated a royal decree in October 25, 1889, which divided the island into two provinces, namely Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, upon the request of the 13 Augustinian Recollect friars administering the towns east of the island. Bacolod was retained as the capital of Negros Occidental. Order Name Year in office Title Capital Governor-General 1 (57) Joaquin Pardo de Tavera 1890-1891 Gobernador Politico-Militar Dumaguete Valeriano Wéyler 2 (58) Luis de la Torre 1891-1892 Gobernador Politico-Militar Dumaguete Eulogio Despujol 3 (59) T. Gutiérrez de la Vega 1892-1892 Gobernador Politico-Militar Dumaguete Eulogio Despujol 4 (60) Victor Espada 1892-1894 Gobernador Politico-Militar Dumaguete Eulogio DespujolFederico OchandoRamón Blanco, 1st Marquis of Peña Plata 5 (61) Adolfo Asuncion 1894-1895 Gobernador Politico-Militar Dumaguete Ramón Blanco, 1st Marquis of Peña PlataCamilo de Polavieja 6 (62) Emilio Regaler 1895-1897 Gobernador Politico-Militar Dumaguete José de LachambreFernando Primo de Rivera 7 (63) Antonio Ferrer 1897-1898 Gobernador Politico-Militar Dumaguete Fernando Primo de RiveraBasilio AugustínFermín JáudenesFrancisco RizzoDiego de los Ríos
Revolutionary government Negros Island was briefly unified temporarily upon the assumption of the Revolutionary Government in Bacolod. An election for separate provincial officials was planned but not implemented until 1901, under the American protectorate period of the Republic of Negros.
Order Name Year in office Title Capital President 1 General Juan Araneta November 6, 1898 – November 27, 1898 Gobernador Militar (Acting, as Secretary of War) Bacolod General Aniceto Lacson 2 Simeon Lizares November 27, 1898 – December 1, 1899 Gobernador Civil (Acting, as Secretary of the Interior) Bacolod General Aniceto Lacson 3 (64) Melecio Severino December 1, 1899 – April 30, 1901 Governor-General of Negros Island Bacolod General Aniceto Lacson
Philippine governors This list includes governors appointed or elected since the end of Spanish rule, the recognized start of the institutional office.