# Governor of Bohol

The Governor of Bohol (Filipino: Punong Lalawigan ng Bohol) is the local chief executive of the provincial government of Bohol, Philippines. The governor holds office at the Bohol New Provincial Capitol in Tagbilaran City and its official residence is at the Governor's Mansion located along Carlos P. Garcia Avenue in Cogon District, also in Tagbilaran. 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 governor of Cebu, city mayors of Cebu, Lapu-lapu, and Mandaue, the province's chief executive is a member of the Regional Development Council of the Central Visayas Region.

## List of governors of Bohol

* Governors of Bohol
1. SPANISH PERIOD (from 1854 – 1898) :
| Name | Term | Note |
| Guillermo Kirkpatrick | March 3, 1854 – March 3, 1857 | First Governor of Bohol (together with Siquijor) when it became a separate politico-military province from Cebu on March 3, 1854 through a signed decree of Governor-General Manuel Pavía. He is a former Captain of the Corps of Engineers, who mapped Bohol and Siquijor and constructed many roads and stone bridges from Guindulman-Tagbilaran-Inabanga, including the old Capitol Building (now Bohol National Museum) while imposing 40-day-Polo y servicio. In 1855, to prevent constant emigration of Boholanos, and to gather enough men for Polo y Servicio, he imposed a lockdown, requiring potential emigrants to obtain passports which is only renewable every year. Boholanos caught without a passport in other provinces were put into prison. A complaint was sent (apocryphally by Doña Martinez (?), a nanny of the queen and the great-grandmother of Teodorico Ramasola of Maribojoc), to Queen Isabella II, who then appointed Bernardo Salvador, a lawyer as Lieutenant Governor of the province. As a consequence, the governor requires to report and seek approvals from the Lt. Governor for any of his decisions. Spanish officials cannot dismiss Salvador since he was a direct appointee of the queen. With no real executive power, he resigned as a result of political pressures. |
| Juan Garcia y Navarro | March 4, 1857 – March 10, 1859 | Also a former Captain of Corps of Engineers. He was appointed after Kirkpatrick's resignation, who faced similar difficulty with no political power with the seating Lt. Governor-in-charge. In 1857, the whole Visayas was reorganized under a Regional District Governor, opting Salvador to return to Department of Finance, since he wasn't a military man. |
| Anastacio de Hoyos y Zendegui | March 10, 1859 – 1860 | Lt. Governor-in-Charge, as Garcia relieved his post. |
| Juan Garcia y Navarro | 1860 – 1862 | Officially no longer a governor but empowered to act for matters he started as governor. |
| Jose Diaz y Quintana | 1863 | Bohol was again administered by Cebu. He was then the Politico-Military Governor of Cebu. |
| Francisco Herrera Davila | 1864 | He came to wind up the papers of Bohol. Regional district governor of the Visayas. |
| Antonio Martinez de Espinosa y San Juan | October 1, 1864– 1871 | Bohol was again became fully independent from Cebu on July 22, 1864 |
| Santiago Ibañez y Comez | 1868 - August 30, 1869 | Wrongly assigned as Alcaldía mayor of Bohol. However, Bohol is not an Alcadia but rather a politico-military province. He died while in office caused by an accident. |
| Pablo Diaz Lomelino | 1871 – 1874 | |
| Manuel Bengoechea y Tapia | 1874 – 1876 | |
| Joaquin Bengoechea y Tapia | 1877 – 1878 | |
| Adolfo Martin de Baños y Paz | September 1878 – 1881 | First term. In 1880, Boholanos petition him to remain at the capitol. |
| Juan Franco Gonzalez | 1881 – 1884 | |
| Luis Martinez Alcobendas | 1884 - 1885 | |
| Francisco Augusto Linares y Pombo | February 1885 – December 10, 1889 | |
| Adolfo Martin de Baños y Paz | December 11, 1889 – 1892 | On his second term |
| Eustasio Gonzalez Liquiñano | 1892 – 1894 | Jurisdiction on Siqujor was transferred to Negros Oriental. |
| Francisco Ortiz Aguado | 1894 – November 5, 1895 | |
| Adolfo Ascencion Gonzalez | November 5, 1895 – May 22, 1897 | |
| Eduardo Moreno Esteller | May 22, 1897 – December 20, 1898 | With a rank of Lieutenant Colonel, the last Spanish Governor of Bohol |
2. REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNOR (1899-1900) :
| No. | Image | Name | Term | Origin | Note(s) |
| 1 | | Bernabe Fortich Reyes | January 16, 1899 – December 1901 | Cavite, later settled in Dauis | Former Alcalde de Ayuntamiento (Board Member) of Cebu, assigned as temporary governor by president Emilio Aguinaldo on January 16, 1899 with Eduardo Calceta as army chief. First elected governor on February 1899 and non-native. Elected president of short-lived Bohol Republic on June 11, 1899. |
3. AMERICAN PERIOD (1901-1907) :
| No. | Image | Name | Term | Origin | Note(s) |
| 2 | | Aniceto Velez Clarin | March 15, 1901 – February 20, 1904 | Loay | first civil governor, appointed for being non-revolutionary. Revolutionary government of Bohol was still under governor Reyes. Former Juez de Paz of Loay and presidente municipal of Tagbilaran. |
| 3 | | Salustiano Mangaya-ay Borja | March 15, 1904 – February 28, 1907 | Tagbilaran | first elected civil governor. Former presidente municipal of Tagbilaran. |
4. PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE (1907-1937) :
| No. | Name | Term | Origin | Note(s) |
| 4 | Macario F. Sarmiento | March 1, 1907 – December 31, 1909 | Tagbilaran | Elected. Former presidente municipal of Tagbilaran. |
| 5 | Fernando G. Rocha | January 16, 1910 – October 15, 1916 | Tagbilaran | Elected twice |
| 6 | Eutiquio Boyles | October 16, 1916 – October 15, 1919 | Ubay | Elected. Former Presidente Municipal of Ubay and congressman of Bohol's third district. |
| 7 | Juan Sarmiento Torralba | October 16, 1919 – October 15, 1925 | Tagbilaran | Elected twice. Later elected as Senator from 1931-1935. |
| 8 | Filomeno Orbeta Caseñas | October 16, 1925 – October 1, 1931 | Jagna | Elected twice |
| — | Jose Orbeta Caseñas | October 1 - 15, 1931 | Jagna | OIC governor. Former mayor of Jagna and younger brother of Filomeno Caseñas. |
| 9 | Celestino Barel Gallares | October 16, 1931 – October 15, 1934 | Tagbilaran | Elected |
| 10 | Carlos Polestico Garcia | October 16, 1934 – December 31, 1937 | Talibon | Elected |
5. COMMONWEALTH PERIOD (1938-1946) :
| No. | Name | Term | Origin | Note(s) |
| — | Carlos Polestico Garcia | January 1, 1938 – August 29, 1941 | Talibon | Re-elected, later became the 8th President of the Philippines in 1957 |
| 11 | Agapito Yap Hontanosas | August 29, 1941 – July 9, 1942 | Dauis | former board member and succeeded Garcia, when the latter run for senate. |
| 11 | Agapito Yap Hontanosas | July 9, 1942 - May 20, 1945 | Dauis | appointed governor during Japanese occupation with the seat of government in Tagbilaran. |
| 12 | Conrado D. Marapao | May 22, 1942 – May 31, 1946 | Loay | former board member and appointed Governor of the Free Local Civil Government by President Manuel L. Quezon, with the seat of government in Carmen. |
6. THIRD PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1946-1978) :
| No. | Name | Term | Origin | Note(s) |
| 13 | Perfecto Bastes Balili | June 1, 1946 – December 31, 1947 | Loboc | Appointed by President Manuel A. Roxas. |
| 14 | Jacinto Castel Borja | January 1, 1948 – December 31, 1951 | Tagbilaran | Elected. Former ambassador, the first and only Boholano to serve as Philippine envoy to the United Nations. |
| 15 | Juan Cuarto Pajo | January 1, 1952 – December 31, 1955 | Valencia | Elected |
| 15 | Juan Cuarto Pajo | January 1, 1956 – January 15, 1958 | Valencia | Re-elected but later appointed executive secretary of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia |
| — | Timoteo Butalid | January 16 - 31 , 1958 | Tagbilaran | OIC, incumbent senior board member. Later became the first elected civil vice-governor of the province. |
| 16 | Esteban Bernido | February 1, 1958 – December 31, 1959 | Guindulman | WWII veteran and former congressman. Appointed by Pres. Carlos P. Garcia |
| 16 | Esteban Bernido | January 1, 1960 – December 31, 1961 | Guindulman | Elected |
| 16 | Esteban Bernido | January 1, 1962 – December 31, 1965 | Guindulman | Re-elected |
| 16 | Esteban Bernido | January 1, 1966 – June 7, 1967 | Guindulman | Re-elected / Resigned - appointed PHHC manager under Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. |
| 17 | Lino Ibarra Chatto | June 8, 1967 – December 31, 1967 | Balilihan | OIC, incumbent vice-governor |
| 17 | Lino Ibarra Chatto | January 1, 1968 – December 31, 1971 | Balilihan | Elected |
| 17 | Lino Ibarra Chatto | January 1, 1972 – March 3, 1978 | Balilihan | Re-elected, became the longest-serving governor (11 years) |
| — | David Belarmino Tirol | March 4 - 27, 1978 | Tagbilaran | OIC, incumbent vice-governor |
| — | Esteban Bernido | March 28 – October 12, 1978 | Guindulman | Appointed by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Sr., on his 5th term and the first to serve under 3 presidents. |
7. FOURTH PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1978-1986) :
| No. | Image | Name | Term | Origin | Note(s) |
| 18 | | Rolando Gatal Butalid | October 13, 1978 – December 31, 1980 | Tagbilaran | Former mayor of Tagbilaran. Appointed by Pres. Marcos Sr. |
| 18 | | Rolando Gatal Butalid | January 1, 1981 – March 15, 1986 | Tagbilaran | Elected |
8. FIFTH PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1986–present) :
| No. | Name | Term | Origin | Note(s) |
| 19 | Victor S. dela Serna | March 16, 1986 – October 7, 1987 | Calape | OIC, appointed by President Corazon C. Aquino. Bohol's first bar top-notcher (1965 Philippine Bar Examination) |
| — | Maximino L. Boiser Jr. | October 7 - 26, 1987 | Talibon | OIC, incumbent vice-governor (acting). |
| 20 | Constancio Chatto Torralba | October 17 – December 1, 1987 | Cortes | OIC, former undersecretary of DPWH under Pres. Corazon C. Aquino. |
| 21 | Asterio V. Akiatan | December 1, 1987 – February 1, 1988 | Dimiao | OIC, former mayor of Dimiao |
| — | Constancio Chatto Torralba | February 2, 1988 – June 30, 1992 | Cortes | Elected |
| 22 | David Belarmino Tirol | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 | Tagbilaran | Elected |
| 23 | Rene Lopez Relampagos | June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2001 | Loon | Elected twice |
| 24 | Erico Boyles Aumentado | June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010 | Ubay | first governor to be elected and completed 3 consecutive terms |
| 25 | Edgardo Migriño Chatto | June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2019 | Balilihan | Elected in 3 consecutive terms. |
| 26 | Arthur Cua Yap | June 30, 2019 – June 30, 2022 | Manila, resident of Loboc | second non-native governor to be elected |
| 27 | Erico Aristotle Cabagnot Aumentado | June 30, 2022 – present | Ubay | Suspended from May 28-July 31, 2024 amid the Chocolate Hills resort controversy. Reinstated on July 31, 2024 by the Ombudsman. |
| — | Dionisio Victor Ancog Balite | May 28, 2024 – July 17, 2024 | Valencia | Incumbent vice governor. Acting governor for the duration of Aumentado's suspension. Died while in office. |
| — | Tita Virtudazo Baja | July 18 - 31, 2024 | Garcia Hernandez | Incumbent board member. Succeeded vice-governor Balite. Acting governor until Aumentado's reinstatement on July 31, 2024. |