The PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS of ISABELA
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Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano
Provincial Tourism Officer of Isabela
Head; Isabela Museum & Library
Philippine Copyright © 2017
Primary sources,
particularly Dominican archives, lack detailed names of alcaldia mayores serving the new province. The military campaign of
February 1868, however, mentioned Don Gonzales
Montero as the Spanish Isabela governor joining Bontoc and Lepanto
Commandants in a huge military expedition spending 40 days subjugating
settlements in the highlands of the Cordilleras which is now part of Ifugao
province.
On August 25, 1898, during
the Philippine Revolution, General Daniel
Mata Tria Tirona (1864-1939) was assigned by President Emilio Aguinaldo y
Famy, in Cagayan and Isabela and was subsequently appointed as military
governor of the two provinces. On September 1, 1898, Isabela last Spanish Governor,
Don Jose Perez, left Ilagan at five
o’clock in the morning with 11,368.58 pesos and retired his 35 guardia civils to Bayombong, Nueva
Vizcaya upon learning that Tuguegarao in Cagayan was captured by the
revolutionary forces led by General Tirona on August 31. Governor Perez was
captured in Bayombong ending the Spanish domination in the valley.
On February 4, 1899, the Philippine-American
War erupted and on March 23, 1901,
after over two years, President Aguinaldo was captured by the American forces
led by Col. Frederick Funston at the remote coastal town of Palanan, Isabela. Eventually,
the Americans established a civil government run by both Americans and
Filipinos.
The 2nd
Philippine Commission headed by Governor-General William Howard Taft with Dean
Conant Worcester (Secretary of the Interior) and Henry Clay Ide (Secretary of
Finance & Justice) conducted a public hearing on August 23, 1901 at Ilagan,
Isabela. On the 2nd and last day, August 24, American civil
government was established in Isabela through Act No. 210 which extended the
provisions of “The Provincial Government Act” (enacted on February 6, 1901) and
its amendments to the Province of Isabela. U.S. 16th Infantry Captain William H. Johnston was appointed
governor of Isabela together with Francisco Dichoso as secretary, George W.
Povey as treasurer and Atty. Bartolome Revilla (who would later become
representative of Rizal province in the 1st Philippine Assembly) as fiscal.
On February 3, 1902, former
secretary of the provincial board Don Francisco
Dichoso y Reyes, was elected governor of Isabela and on February 21 of the
same year, Acting Governor-General Luke Edward Wright confirmed the election of
Dichoso through Executive Order No. 60 in accordance with Act No. 83 of the United
States Philippine Commission. Thomas Gollayan was the provincial secretary.
However, on the
second quarter of 1903, Colonel Manuel Tomines from Naguilian town continued in
Isabela “Aguinaldo” and Macario Sakay’s fight for independence and set camp at Rancho
Payac in Echague (now a barangay of Jones town) and had several encounters in
Carig (now Santiago City) and Echague, thus, delaying the pacification campaign
of the Americans in Isabela. The peace and order situation of the province and
on issues on slavery prompted the central American government to designate
another American caretaker.
On the same year,
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt asked fellow Rough Riders (1st
United States Volunteer Cavalry), Captain George
Curry (1861-1947), to accept an appointment as governor of Isabela
province. Curry would later become governor and U.S. Representative of New
Mexico State. Curry was governor of Isabela up to April 5, 1905.
On
January 5, 1905, elections for governor were held throughout the country except
for Cavite and Isabela because the conditions prevailing rendered it inimical
to public interest to hold the elections. The American central government in
Manila appointed Colonel Blas Villamor
of Bangued, Abra as governor on April 6, 1905 replacing Governor Curry who was
appointed governor of Samar. In 1907, Eliseo
Claravall y Mamuri of Ilagan
assumed the governorship. On March 15, 1907, Thomas Gollayan was appointed
member of the provincial board (tercer vocal).
On January 9, 1907,
Act No. 1582 was passed by the Philippine Commission. Otherwise known as the
Election Law of 1907, it stated that in all the municipalities in the provinces
entitled to elect governors, an election for provincial governor and third member
of the provincial board shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first
Monday of November 1907. On November 5 of the same year, Governor Claravall was elected governor with Thomas Gollayan as third
member. Stipulated also in Act No. 1582, Governor Claravall and Gollayan
assumed office on the first Monday of March 1908.
In mid-August of 1909, municipal president of Naguilian (1908-1909), Romualdo Mina y Guzman, assumed the governorship and served up to December 31 of the same year. Governor Mina presided over 18 sessions of the provincial board starting August 16 up to December 29 as governor with the incumbent 3rd member of the provincial board Thomas Gollayan. Governor Claravall ran for Congress representing the lone district of Isabela upon the death of Assemblyman Dimas Guzman.
On November 2, 1909, former municipal president of San Pablo (1904-1907) and third member of the provincial board Thomas Gollayan, was elected governor and assumed office on the first day of 1910 with W. Trinidad (treasurer) and Pascual Gangan Paguirigan (tercer vocal) as members of the provincial board.
On June 4, 1912, Governor Gollayan was re-elected for
another term and assumed office on October 16 of the same year with Manuel
Perez and Gabriel Maramag as members of the provincial board.
On June 6, 1916,
former municipal president (1910-1912) of Ilagan and third member of the
provincial board (1912-1916) Pascual Paguirigan
y Gangan, was elected governor. Governor Paguirigan assumed office on
October 16 of the same year with Primo Gaffud and Juan M. de Bonilla as members
of the provincial board.
The
Jones Law also known as the Philippine Autonomy Act and Act of Congress of
August 29, 1916, changed the political structure of the country. On March 10,
1917, Act No. 2711 of the Philippine Legislature created Isabela as a regular
province.
On June 3, 1919, Governor Paguirigan was re-elected and
assumed office on October 16 of the same year with Rufo Ramos and Zenon Bacud
as members of the provincial board.
On June 6, 1922, municipal
president of San Pablo (1908-1909), Ventura
S. Guzman, won as governor and assumed office on October 16 of the same
year with Gregorio Laman and Cirilo A. Semana as members of the provincial
board. Governor Guzman did not seek re-election in 1925.
The election of June 2, 1925 resulted in the change of Isabela leadership. Former municipal president of Echague and two-time member of the provincial board, Primo Gaffud, was elected governor and assumed office on October 16 of the same year with Gregorio Laman and Manuel Masigan as members of the provincial board.
On June 2, 1931, municipal
councilor of Ilagan Fortunato Miranda Bulan,
was elected as governor and assumed office on October 16 of the same year with
Agustin A. Pintang and Manuel Masigang as members of the provincial board. On
June 5, 1934, Governor Bulan was
re-elected for a second term and assumed office on October 16 of the same year with
Moises A. Layugan and Sotero N. Nuesa as members of the provincial board.
The
next local election was held on December 14, 1937. All Philippine women were
allowed to vote and elect among them into offices for the first time. Member of
the provincial board (1934-1937) Agustin
Pintang y Agustin of Echague, was elected governor with Gabriel R. Visaya
and Fabian Soberano as members of the provincial board.
On October 6, 1939,
Atty. Lino J. Castillejo of
Tumauini, administrative assistant in the Office of President Manuel L. Quezon,
was appointed governor but did not seek the same position on the following
local polls but instead ran as congressman of the lone district of Isabela.
On December 10, 1940, former municipal president (1928-1931) of Santiago and member of the provincial board (1938-1940) Gabriel Ramones Visaya (1899-1978), was elected governor and assumed office on January 1, 1941 but relinquished his position in favor of the appointed governor by the Japanese Military Administration on May 2, 1942.
On December 10, 1940, former municipal president (1928-1931) of Santiago and member of the provincial board (1938-1940) Gabriel Ramones Visaya (1899-1978), was elected governor and assumed office on January 1, 1941 but relinquished his position in favor of the appointed governor by the Japanese Military Administration on May 2, 1942.
On
May 3, 1942, municipal mayor of Santiago (1942) Agustin Villamor Bersamin (1888-1970), was appointed governor of Isabela with Cosme Dela Cruz and Silvino M. Gumpal as appointed members of the provincial board.
On February 1944, Governor Bersamin was replaced with the appointment of former
Governor Castillejo.
On August 12, 1945, Governor Castillejo was replaced by the appointment of the former fiscal of Isabela and delegate to the National Assembly of the 2nd Republic, Atty. Gregorio P. Formoso. Governor Formoso served up to October 21 of the same year and was replaced by the reinstatement of former Governor Visaya who served up to June 11, 1946.
On August 12, 1945, Governor Castillejo was replaced by the appointment of the former fiscal of Isabela and delegate to the National Assembly of the 2nd Republic, Atty. Gregorio P. Formoso. Governor Formoso served up to October 21 of the same year and was replaced by the reinstatement of former Governor Visaya who served up to June 11, 1946.
On June 12, 1946, another
appointment after the election of President Manuel A. Roxas was made. Former
Congressman (1934-1935) and member of the provincial board Atty. Silvino Madderay Gumpal (1901-1977) of
Jones was appointed governor of Isabela and served up to December 31, 1947. On November
11, 1947, Governor Gumpal was
elected governor and assumed office on January 1, 1948 up to December 31, 1951.
On November 13, 1951,
former councilor of Gamu Atty. Felix T.
Caro, won as governor of the province and held office from January 1, 1952
to December 31, 1955. On November 9, 1955, Governor
Caro was re-elected on his second term and served from January 1, 1956 to
December 31, 1959.
The midterm
senatorial and local elections of November 10, 1959, catapulted Hon. Melanio Tangco Singson (1914-1992) as
governor of Isabela and served from January 1, 1960 up to December 31, 1963. On November 12, 1963, Governor Singson was re-elected for a second term and assumed
office on January 1, 1964. However, his term was cut short upon his resignation
on September 15, 1965 to accept the position of Secretary of Justice.
Dr. Leocadio Estevez Ignacio (1920-2013) of Mallig, the incumbent vice governor, assumed the governorship by virtue of law of succession. He served the unexpired term of his predecessor up to December 31, 1967.
Dr. Leocadio Estevez Ignacio (1920-2013) of Mallig, the incumbent vice governor, assumed the governorship by virtue of law of succession. He served the unexpired term of his predecessor up to December 31, 1967.
On November 14, 1967,
former two-termer congressman (1949-1953 & 1953-1957), Atty. Samuel F. Reyes of
Cauayan won as governor and assumed office on January 1, 1968 up to December
31, 1971.
On
November 8, 1971, two-termer Cauayan mayor Faustino
Ng Dy (1925-1993) won as governor and assumed office on January 1, 1972.
His term should have ended on December 31, 1975 but was extended due to Proclamation
No. 1081 (Martial Law) up to January 31, 1980. On January 30, 1980, local
elections for governors, vice governors, mayors and vice mayors in the
nation's first elections for provincial and municipal officials since the
declaration of martial law were held and incumbent Governor Dy was re-elected unopposed and assumed office on February
1, 1980.
One of the aftermaths
of the People Revolution of 1986 was the appointment of local officials as
officers-in-charge (OIC). On May 1986, former Governor Melanio T. Singson was appointed by Local Government Secretary
Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. as OIC governor.
On the first week of December 1987,
Atty. Silvestre Hernando Bello, Jr. was
appointed OIC governor by Local Government Secretary Luis
T. Santos replacing Governor Singson to oversee the first local elections of
the 5th Republic. Governor Bello served up to February 5, 1988. Emerging triumphant in the January 18, 1988 local race was
long-time serving
Governor Faustino N. Dy who served
from February 6, 1988 up to June 30, 1992.
In the May 11, 1992
national and local elections, Cauayan Mayor Benjamin de
Guzman Dy (1952-2013) won as governor and served from July 1, 1992 up to
June 30, 1995. On May 8, 1995, Governor Dy
was re-elected to his second term and served from July 1, 1995 up to June 30,
1998. And on May
11, 1998, Governor Dy served his third and last
term as provincial governor and served from July 1, 1998 up to June 30, 2001.
On May 14, 2001, three-termer
2nd District of Isabela Representative Faustino Sanchez Dy, Jr. won as governor and served from July 1, 2001
up to June 30, 2004.
The May 10, 2004 polls resulted in the election of the first lady governor, broadcaster Maria Gracia Cielo Magno Padaca who served from July 1, 2004 up to June 30, 2007. On the May 14, 2007 midterm elections, Governor Padaca won a second term and served from July 1, 2007 up to June 30, 2010.
The May 10, 2004 polls resulted in the election of the first lady governor, broadcaster Maria Gracia Cielo Magno Padaca who served from July 1, 2004 up to June 30, 2007. On the May 14, 2007 midterm elections, Governor Padaca won a second term and served from July 1, 2007 up to June 30, 2010.
On
December 9, 2009, former Governor Benjamin G. Dy won over incumbent Governor Padaca
in his election protest. In the official count of the 2007 gubernatorial race,
Padaca, seeking her second term, got 237,128 votes against Dy’s 220,121, or a
margin of 17,207. The Dys, however, accused the Padaca camp of electoral fraud.
The Padaca camp, for its part, though filed a counter-protest, raising the same
charges. But after a recount, the Comelec’s Second Division said in its
12,092-page ruling that Dy got 199,435 votes against Padaca’s 198,384, giving
Dy a winning margin of 1,051 votes. Dy, however, failed to assume the post as
Padaca appealed the decision before the Supreme Court.
On May 10, 2010
presidential and local elections, three-termer 3rd District of
Isabela Representative Faustino de
Guzman Dy III was elected governor and served from July 1, 2010 up to June 30,
2013. On
May 13, 2013, Governor Dy won a
second term and
served from July 1, 2013 up to June 30, 2016. And on May 9, 2016 national and local
elections, Governor Dy won his third
and last term and
served from July 1, 2016 to present. Governor Dy is the 28th
Provincial Governor of Isabela since the establishment of the civil government
in 1901 after the Philippine-American War.
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