The Governor of Iloilo () is the local chief executive of the Philippine province of Iloilo. The governor holds office at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol () located at Bonifacio Drive, Iloilo City. Like all local government heads in the Philippines, the governor is elected via popular vote, and may not be elected for a fourth consecutive term (although the former governor may return to office after an interval of one term). In case of death, resignation or incapacity, the vice governor becomes the governor. Along with the governors of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Guimaras, he sits in the Regional Development Council of the Western Visayas Region.
The current governor is Arthur Defensor Jr. who took the seat for the first time starting July 1, 2019, replacing his father Arthur Defensor Sr. who completed the full three terms as provincial governor.
History
The first Alcalde-Mayor (present-day governor) of Iloilo province to be appointed by the Spanish monarch was Diego de la Correa who held this position from 1634 to 1636. In the early years of Spanish settlement, only a handful of towns has been established. In 1565, the Legazpi expedition which include Mateo del Saz, the Maestre de Campo (Ship Commander), Juan de la Isla and Father Martin de Rada exploring the islands in search for food reached the northeastern portion of Panay island. Father Martin de Rada founded Araut (present-day Dumangas) in the same year 1565 becoming the oldest town in Iloilo and built a small chapel there. A Spanish settlement was established in Ogtong (present day Oton) and made the pueblo of the province in 1570. Due to the frequent raids of the Moro pirates from Mindanao, Dutch, and English buccaneers posed a threat to Ogtong, the capital of the province was transferred to La Villa Rica de Arevalo in 1581. It then becomes the seat of Spanish government of the whole of Iloilo, Panay (Capiz, Aklan and Antique), Negros, Guimaras, Cuyu-Palawan, Caluya, Romblon, and Boracay as Miguel Loarca wrote. Other towns established at these period were Pototan, Sibucao (now Passi City) and Dingle, Laglag (now Dueñas), Salog (now Jaro, Iloilo City), Guimbal (1703), Miagao (1716), Leon (1730), Cabatuan (1733), Alimodian (1754), Igbaras (1761), Janiuay (1769), Tubungan (1768), Santa Barbara and Maasin are among the first group of villages that were given a pueblo (town hood) status.
Provincial Capitol
The old Iloilo Provincial Capitol () was the office of the provincial government and official residence of the governor since 1849 with the original structure made out of wood and stone. The new modern Iloilo Provincial Capitol was constructed just behind the old provincial capitol and was completed in 2006. It was designed by architect Guillermo Hisancha. The old provincial capitol has been renovated and restored to its former glory and is now being used as a lobby and reception area for visiting guests and dignitaries. In front of the capitol stands the Arroyo Fountain built in 1928 in honor of Senator Jose Maria Arroyo from Molo, Iloilo City who sponsored a bill creating the Iloilo Metropolitan Water Works. The fountain also serves as the Kilometer Zero or a point of reference in measuring distances in the city and province of Iloilo and also to various points and destinations in Panay Island from Iloilo City.
List of governors
These are the lists of governors who served the province of Iloilo since the early Spanish settlement in the 1600s to the present day.
Spanish Alcalde Mayores (governors) of Iloilo Province
After the Spanish settlement was first established in 1570, towns were settled, established and were granted town hood status. By this time, the Spanish government appoints an alcalde mayor to govern the provincial government and surrounding jurisdictions.
Order Year in Office Name Capital Governor-General Notes 1 1634–1636 Diego de la Correa Arevalo Juan Cerezo de Salamanca (21st) (Acting) Governor-General of the Philippines (1633–1635) 2 1637–1639 Pedro Alarcon Arevalo Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera, 22nd Governor-General of the Philippines (1635–1644) 3 1640–1642 Pedro de Leon Arevalo Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera,22nd Governor-General of the Philippines (1635–1644) 4 1643–1646 Felipe Casiano Arevalo Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera, 22nd Governor-General of the Philippines(1635–1644) Diego Fajardo Chacon,23rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1644–1653) 5 1647–1649 Juan Mendoza Arevalo Diego Fajardo Chacon,23rd Governor-General of the Philippines(1644–1653) 6 1650–1653 Felipe Peñalosa Arevalo Diego Fajardo Chacon,23rd Governor-General of the Philippines(1644–1653) 7 1654–1657 Jose Cordero Arevalo Sabiniano Manrique de Lara ,24th Governor-General of the Philippines (1653–1663) 8 1658–1661 Pedro Bobaella Arevalo Sabiniano Manrique de Lara ,24th Governor-General of the Philippines (1653–1663) 9 1662–1664 Pedro Velasco Arevalo Sabiniano Manrique de Lara 24th Governor-General of the Philippines (1653–1663) Diego de Salcedo 25th Governor-General of the Philippines (1663–1668) 10 1665–1666 Jose Briones Arevalo Diego de Salcedo, 25th Governor-General of the Philippines (1663–1668) 11 1667–1668 Sebastian de Villas Arevalo Diego de Salcedo 25th Governor-General of the Philippines(1663–1668) Juan Manuel de la Peña Bonifaz 26th Governor-General of the Philippines (1668–1669) 12 1669–1670 Jose de Robles Arevalo Juan Manuel de la Peña Bonifaz , 26th Governor-General of the Philippines (1668–1669) Manuel de León 27th Governor-General of the Philippines (1669–1677) 13 1671–1672 Francisco Surrilla Arevalo Manuel de León 27th Governor-General of the Philippines (1669–1677) 14 1673–1674 Miguel Rendon Arevalo Manuel de León 27th Governor-General of the Philippines (1669–1677) 15 1675–1676 Alonzo Piralba Arevalo Manuel de León 27th Governor-General of the Philippines (1669–1677) 16 1677–1678 Nicolas de Pamplona Arevalo Manuel de León 27th Governor-General of the Philippines (1669–1677) Francisco Coloma y Maceda 28th Governor-General of the Philippines (Real Audiencia)(1677) Francisco Sotomayor y Mansilla 29th Governor-General of the Philippines (Real Audiencia)(1677–1678) Juan de Vargas y Hurtado 30th Governor-General of the Philippines(1678–1684) 17 1679–1680 Miguel Rindon Livar Arevalo Juan de Vargas y Hurtado 30th Governor-General of the Philippines(1678–1684) 18 1681–1682 Juan de Moreno Arevalo Juan de Vargas y Hurtado 30th Governor-General of the Philippines(1678–1684) 19 1683–1684 Martin Gonzales Arevalo Juan de Vargas y Hurtado 30th Governor-General of the Philippines(1678–1684) Gabriel de Curuzealegui y Arriola 31st Governor-General of the Philippines (1684–1689) 20 1685–1686 Manuel Sarmiento Arevalo Gabriel de Curuzealegui y Arriola 31st Governor-General of the Philippines(1684–1689) 21 1687–1688 Nicolas Perez Arevalo Gabriel de Curuzealegui y Arriola 31st Governor-General of the Philippines(1684–1689) 22 1689–1690 Diego Quiñonez Arevalo Alonso de Avila Fuertes 32nd Governor-General of the Philippines (Real Audiencia) (1689–1690) Fausto Cruzat y Góngora 33rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1690–1701) 23 1691 Sebastian de Via Arevalo Fausto Cruzat y Góngora 33rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1690–1701) 24 1691–1692 Diego Vargas Arevalo Fausto Cruzat y Góngora 33rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1690–1701) 25 1694–1696 Luis Camacho Arevalo Fausto Cruzat y Góngora 33rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1690–1701) 26 1697–1698 Juan Carion Arevalo Fausto Cruzat y Góngora 33rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1690–1701) 27 1699–1700 Juan Maldonado Arevalo Fausto Cruzat y Góngora 33rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1690–1701) 28 1701–1702 Juan Parado Iloilo City Fausto Cruzat y Góngora 33rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1690–1701) Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri 34th Governor-General of the Philippines 29 1703–1704 Antonio Tarosa Iloilo City Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri 34th Governor-General of the Philippines (1701–1709) 30 1705–1706 Juan Esquera Iloilo City Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri 34th Governor-General of the Philippines (1701–1709) 31 1707 Pedro Avendano Iloilo City Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri 34th Governor-General of the Philippines (1701–1709) 32 1708–1709 Nicolas de Colina Iloilo City Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri 34th Governor-General of the Philippines (1701–1709) Martín de Ursúa y Arizmendi (1st count of Lizárraga) 35th Governor-General of the Philippines (1709–1715) 33 1710–1711 Juan Jurado Iloilo City Martín de Ursúa y Arizmendi (1st count of Lizárraga) 35th Governor-General of the Philippines (1709–1715) 34 1712–1713 Gaspar Sanches Iloilo City Martín de Ursúa y Arizmendi (1st count of Lizárraga) 35th Governor-General of the Philippines (1709–1715) 35 1714–1715 Atancio de Gubgura Iloilo City Martín de Ursúa y Arizmendi (1st count of Lizárraga) 35th Governor-General of the Philippines(1709–1715) José Torralba 36th Governor-General of the Philippines (Real Audiencia) (1715–1717) 36 1716–1717 Pedro Lucena Iloilo City José Torralba 36th Governor-General of the Philippines(Real Audiencia) (1715–1717) Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda, 37th Governor-General of the Philippines (1717–1719) The town of New Lucena was named after him after he approved the petition of converting the barrio into a pueblo. The prefix "New" was added only in 1955. 37 1718–1719 Felipe Arevalo Iloilo City Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda, 37th Governor-General of the Philippines (1717–1719) 38 1727 Pedro Basadas Perez Iloilo City Toribio José Cosio y Campo 39th Governor-General of the Philippines (1721–1729) 39 1728–1730 Andres Melenday Iloilo City Toribio José Cosio y Campo 39th Governor-General of the Philippines (1721–1729) Fernándo Valdés y Tamon 40th Governor-General of the Philippines (1729–1739) 40 1731–1733 Francisco Sanguines Iloilo City Fernándo Valdés y Tamon 40th Governor-General of the Philippines (1729–1739) 41 1734–1737 Luis de la Torre Iloilo City Fernándo Valdés y Tamon 40th Governor-General of the Philippines (1729–1739) 42 1738–1739 Felipe Espino Iloilo City Fernándo Valdés y Tamon 40th Governor-General of the Philippines (1729–1739) Gaspar de la Torre y Ayala 41st Governor-General of the Philippines (1739–1745) 43 1740–1741 Manuel de Dozal Iloilo City Gaspar de la Torre y Ayala 41st Governor-General of the Philippines (1739–1745) 44 1742–1745 Francisco Valladores Iloilo City Gaspar de la Torre y Ayala 41st Governor-General of the Philippines (1739–1745) Bishop Juan de Arechederra Bishop-elect of Nueva Segovia (Acting) 42nd Governor-General of the Philippines (1745–1750) 45 1746–1748 Francisco Oscotes Iloilo City Bishop Juan de Arechederra Bishop-elect of Nueva Segovia (Acting) 42nd Governor-General of the Philippines (1745–1750) 46 1749–1751 Ignacio Marquez Iloilo City Bishop Juan de Arechederra Bishop-elect of Nueva Segovia (42nd) (Acting) Governor-General of the Philippines (1745–1750) Francisco José de Ovando 1st Marquis of Brindisi 43rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1750–1754) 47 1752–1754 Antonio de Arguelles Iloilo City Francisco José de Ovando 1st Marquis of Brindisi 43rd Governor-General of the Philippines (1750–1754) Pedro Manuel de Arandía Santisteban 44th Governor-General of the Philippines (1754–1759) 48 1770–1771 Jose de Ocampo Iloilo City Simón de Anda y Salazar 47th (Re-Appointed) Governor-General of the Philippines (1770–1776) 49 1772–1773 Manuel de Mendio Iloilo City Simón de Anda y Salazar 47th (Re-Appointed) Governor-General of the Philippines (1770–1776) 50 1775–1776 Santiago Salavaria Iloilo City Simón de Anda y Salazar 47th (Re-Appointed) Governor-General of the Philippines (1770–1776) Pedro de Sarrio 50th (Acting) Governor-General of the Philippines (1776–1778) 51 1777–1779 Felipe Almoranas Iloilo City Pedro de Sarrio (50th) (Acting) Governor-General of the Philippines (1776–1778)