# Governor of Negros Occidental

The governor of Negros Occidental is the local chief executive and head of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental. Along with the governor of Negros Oriental and the mayor of the highly urbanized city of Bacolod, he serves as one of the chief executives of Negros Island in the Philippines.

## Formation

Before independence, 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.
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.

## Line of succession

As with the president of the Philippines, the role of governor is passed on to the vice governor of Negros Occidental in case of incapacity, resignation or death. But unlike the national line of succession, the board member designated as the first in line for garnering the highest number of votes succeeds as vice governor, also the same should only the vice governor be incapacitated. Should both the governor and vice governor be incapacitated, the same would succeed as governor and the board member with the second highest number of votes would succeed as vice governor.

## Duties and related offices

By the convention set for the newly created Negros Island Region, the governor of Negros Occidental sits as chairperson of one of the two regional councils, namely the Regional Development Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council. Currently, the governor of Negros Occidental is Eugenio Jose "Bong" Lacson.
A spouse of the governor of Negros Occidental is accorded the title of "First Lady," but alternatively called "Gubernatorial First Lady" or "Provincial First Lady," as not to confuse with the office of the First Lady of the Philippines. Unlike the First Lady of the Philippines, the Provincial First Lady is not accorded a formal ceremonial role, but rather conventionally represents the governor in the social activities of the province.

## 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 | Jeronimo Benegas | 1627-1629 | Corregidor | Ilog (de facto) Administered from Arevalo | Juan Niño de Tabora |
| 3 | Juan de Leon | 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 Tabora Lorenzo de Olaza Juan Cerezo de Salamanca Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera Diego Fajardo Chacón |
| 4 | Juan Ferrer | 1652-1666 | Corregidor | Ilog (de facto) Administered from Arevalo | Diego Fajardo Chacón Sabiniano Manrique de Lara Diego 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 Martinez | 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 León Francisco Coloma Francisco Sotomayor y Mansilla Juan de Vargas y Hurtado Gabriel de Curuzealegui y Arriola Alonso de Avila Fuertes Fausto Cruzat y Gongora |
| 9 | Francisco Tabares | 1699-1701 | Corregidor | Ilog (de facto) Administered from Arevalo | Fausto Cruzat y Gongora |
| 10 | Ramon Diaz 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 Arizmendi José 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 | 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 Cuesta Toribio José Cosio y Campo Fernándo Valdés y Tamon Gaspar de la Torre Juan Arrechederra Francisco José de Ovando Pedro Manuel de Arandía Santisteban Miguel Lino de Ezpeleta Manuel Rojo del Río y Vieyra Simón de Anda y Salazar(first) Dawsonne Drake (British Occupation) Francisco Javier de la Torre José Antonio Raón y Gutiérrez Simón de Anda y Salazar(second) Pedro de Sarrio José Basco y Vargas |
| 18 | Felipe de Zuñiga | 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 Sarrio Félix Berenguer de Marquina |
| 22 | Jose de Arriola | 1790- 1793 | Corregidor | Ilog | Félix Berenguer de Marquina |
| 23 | Ramon de Zuñiga | 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 | Simon Matias 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 Folgueras Juan Antonio Martínez |
| 31 | Camilo Peña | 1824-1827 | Corregidor | Himamaylan | Juan Antonio Martínez Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca |
| -- | -- | 1827-1829 | Direct administration by the Spanish governor of Iloilo | Himamaylan | Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca |
| 32 | Juan de Cordova | 1829-1833 | Corregidor | Himamaylan | Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca Pasqual Enrile y Alcedo |
| 33 | Luis Villasis | 1833-1839 | Corregidor | Himamaylan | Pasqual Enrile y Alcedo Gabriel de Torres Joaquín de Crámer Pedro Antonio Salazar Castillo y Varona Andrés García Camba Luis Lardizábal |
| 34 | Mariano Valero y Soto | 1839- 1842 | Alcalde Mayor | Himamaylan | Luis Lardizábal Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri |
| 35 | Jose Saenz de Vizmanos | 1842- 1848 | Alcalde Mayor | Himamaylan | Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri Francisco de Paula Alcalá de la Torre Narciso Clavería |
| 36 | Manuel Valdivieso Morquecho | 1848-1855 | Alcalde Mayor | Bacolod | Narciso Clavería Antonio María Blanco Antonio de Urbistondo y Eguía Ramón Montero y Blandino Manuel Pavía Ramón Montero y Blandino Manuel Crespo y Cebrían |
| 37 | Emilio Saravia | 1855-1857 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Manuel Crespo y Cebrían Ramón Montero y Blandino |
| 38 | Pedro de Beaumont | 1857-1860 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Fernándo Norzagaray y Escudero |
| 39 | Beremundo Aranda | 1860-1864 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Ramón María Solano y Llanderal Juan Herrera Dávila José Lemery e Ibarrola Ney y González Salvador Valdés Rafaél de Echagüe y Bermingham |
| 40 | Jose de Crame | 1864-1865 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Rafaél de Echagüe y Bermingham |
| 41 | Joaquin Vidal | 1865- 1866 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Joaquín del Solar e Ibáñez (first) Juan de Lara e Irigoyen |
| 42 | Juan Gil y Montes | 1866-1867 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | José Laureano de Sanz y Posse Juan Antonio Osorio Joaquín del Solar e Ibáñez(second) José de la Gándara y Navarro |
| 43 | Antonio Vasquez Cuenca | 1867 | Gobernador Politico-Militar (Interim) | Bacolod | José de la Gándara y Navarro |
| 44 | Eugenio Serrano | 1867-1868 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | José de la Gándara y Navarro |
| 45 | Enrique Fajardo | 1868-1869 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | José de la Gándara y Navarro |
| 46 | Francisco Jaudenes | 1869- 1871 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Manuel Maldonado (Republican governor general) Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada (Republican governor general) |
| 47 | Domingo Garcia | 1871-1873 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Rafael de Izquierdo y Gutíerrez |
| 48 | Miguel Masgrao | 1873 | Gobernador Politico-Militar (Interim) | Bacolod | Rafael de Izquierdo y Gutíerrez |
| 49 | Federico Lemeyer | 1873-1875 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Juan Alaminos y Vivar Manuel Blanco Valderrama José Malcampo y Monje |
| 51 | Roman 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 Estevanez | 1878-1883 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Domingo Moriones y Murillo Rafael Rodríguez Arias Fernando Primo de Rivera |
| 54 | Eduardo Subinza | 1883-1885 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Emilio Molíns Joaquín Jovellar |
| 55 | Antonio Tovar | 1885-1889 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Emilio Terrero y Perinat |
| 56 | Fernando Giralt | 1889-1890 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Emilio Terrero y Perinat Antonio Moltó Federico Lobatón Valeriano Wéyler |

### Spanish governors of Negros Occidental

Governor General Valeriano Wéyler promulgated a royal decree on 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 | Camilo Lasala | 1890-1894 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Valeriano Wéyler Eulogio Despujol Federico Ochando Ramón Blanco, 1st Marquis of Peña Plata |
| 2 | Manuel Valdeviseo Morquecho | 1894-1898 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Ramón Blanco, 1st Marquis of Peña Plata Camilo de Polavieja José de Lachambre Fernando Primo de Rivera |
| 3 | Isidro Castro y Cinceros | 1898 | Gobernador Politico-Militar | Bacolod | Fernando Primo de Rivera Basilio Augustín Fermín Jáudenes Francisco Rizzo Diego de los Ríos |

### Revolutionary government

| 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 | Simon Lizares | November 27, 1898 – December 1, 1899 | Gobernador Civil (Acting, as Secretary of the Interior) | Bacolod | General Aniceto Lacson |

### Filipino governors

This list includes governors appointed or elected since the end of Spanish rule, the recognized start of the institutional office.
| Order | Name | Place of origin | Year in office | Era | Vice governor |
| 1 | Melecio Severino | Silay | December 1, 1899 – April 30, 1901 | Republic of Negros (as Governor-General of Negros Island) | Antonio Jayme |
| 2 | Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga | Bacolod | May 1, 1901 – August 15, 1901 | American Occupation, appointed | Leandro de la Rama Locsin |
| 3 | Leandro de la Rama Locsin | Bago | August 16, 1901 – March 6, 1904 (first) September 26, 1907 – March 7, 1908 (second) | American Occupation, appointed Insular Government, elected | |
| 4 | Antonio Ledesma Jayme | Bacolod | March 7, 1904 – May 8, 1906 | Insular Government | |
| 5 | Manuel Lopez | Silay | May 9, 1906 – September 25, 1907 | Insular Government | |
| 6 | Mariano Yulo | Bago | March 8, 1908 – October 15, 1912 | Insular Government | |
| 8 | Matias Hilado | Bacolod | October 16, 1912 – October 15, 1922 | Insular Government | |
| 9 | Gil Montilla | Sipalay | October 16, 1922 – October 15, 1925 | Insular Government | |
| 10 | José Locsin | Silay | October 16, 1925 – October 15, 1928 | Insular Government | |
| 11 | Agustin Ramos | Himamaylan | October 16, 1928 – October 15, 1931 | Insular Government | |
| 12 | Isaac Lacson | Talisay | October 16, 1931 – July 12, 1934 | Insular Government | |
| 13 | Ramon Severino | Silay | July 12, 1934 – October 13, 1934 | Insular Government | |
| 14 | Emilio Gaston | Silay | October 16, 1934 – June 13, 1937 | Insular Government Commonwealth Government | |
| 15 | Valeriano Gatuslao | Himamaylan | June 15, 1937 – October 15, 1940 (first) February 3, 1954 – January 16, 1965 (second) | Commonwealth Government Third Republic | Gloria Esteban (second) |
| 16 | Ramon Torres | Bago | October 16, 1940 – December 30, 1941 (first) June 8, 1953 – September 12, 1953 (second) | Commonwealth Government Third Republic | |
| 17 | Antonio Lizares | Talisay | January 1, 1942 – July 31, 1942 | Commonwealth Government | |
| 18 | Vicente Gustilo | Cadiz | August 1, 1942-April 1943 | Japanese Occupation | |
| 19 | Alfredo Montelibano Sr. | Murcia | December 16, 1942 – August 16, 1945 | Commonwealth Government (In Exile) (as military governor of Negros and Siquijor Islands) | Post delegated to 7 deputy governors: Roberto Llantada Traquilino Valderrama Salvador Benedicto Miguel Gatuslao Aurelio Locsin Margarito P. Teves Crispimano Limbaga |
| 20 | Gregorio Pura | Bacolod | September 27, 1945 – October 19, 1945 | Commonwealth Government (as military governor) | |
| 21 | Ildefonso Coscolluela | Silay | October 20, 1945 – February 14, 1946 | Commonwealth Government (as military governor) | |
| 22 | Miguel Gatuslao | Himamaylan | February 15, 1946 – June 6, 1946 | Commonwealth Government (as military governor) | |
| 23 | Rafael Lacson | Talisay | June 7, 1946 – November 22, 1951 | Commonwealth Government Third Republic | Felix Amante |
| 24 | Leon Miraflores | Bacolod | November 23, 1951 – July 9, 1952 (first) September 1, 1952 – June 7, 1953 (second) January 7, 1954 – January 9, 1954 (third) | Third Republic | |
| 25 | Fernando Fuentes | Bacolod | July 10, 1952 – August 31, 1952 | Third Republic | |
| 29 | Felix Amante | Bacolod | September 16, 1953 – January 6, 1954 | Third Republic | |
| 31 | Deogracias Estrella | Bacolod | January 9, 1954 – February 2, 1954 | Third Republic | |
| 33 | Benjamin Gomez | Silay | January 17, 1965 – December 31, 1967 | Third Republic | |
| 34 | Alfredo Montelibano Jr. | Bacolod | January 1, 1968 – April 4, 1986 | Third Republic Fourth Republic | |
| -- | Armando Gustilo | Cadiz | January 3, 1986 – April 4, 1986 | Fourth Republic (as Governor of Negros del Norte) | Pacifico Aranas |
| -- | Jose Puey Jr. | Cadiz | April 5, 1986 – August 18, 1986 | Fourth Republic (as Governor of Negros del Norte, office dissolved) | Romeo Gamboa Jr. |
| 35 | Daniel Lacson Jr. | Saravia | April 5, 1986 – December 4, 1987 (first) January 24, 1988 – June 25, 1992 (second) | Fourth Republic Fifth Republic | Eduardo Ledesma (first) Rafael Coscolluela (second) |
| 36 | Eduardo Ledesma | Silay | December 5, 1987 – February 1, 1988 | Fifth Republic | Lorendo Dilag |
| 38 | Rafael Coscolluela | Talisay | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 2001 | Fifth Republic | Romeo Gamboa Jr. |
| 39 | Joseph Marañon | Sagay | June 30, 2001 – May 14, 2008 | Fifth Republic | Isidro Zayco |
| 40 | Isidro Zayco | Kabankalan | May 14, 2008 – June 30, 2010 | Fifth Republic | Emilio Yulo III |
| 41 | Alfredo Marañon | Sagay | June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2019 | Fifth Republic | Genaro Alvarez (first) Bong Lacson (second) |
| 42 | Bong Lacson | San Carlos | June 30, 2019 – incumbent | Fifth Republic | Jeffrey Ferrer |