# Mayor of Dipolog

The mayor of Dipolog (Filipino: Punong Lungsod ng Dipolog, Cebuano: Mayor sa Dakbayan sa Dipolog) is the head of the executive branch of Dipolog's government. The mayor holds office at the Dipolog City Hall.
Like all local government heads in the Philippines, the mayor is elected via popular vote, and may not be elected for a fourth consecutive term (although the former mayor may return to office after an interval of one term). In case of death, resignation or incapacity, the vice mayor becomes the mayor.

## History

It was said that Dipolog's history as a government unit was established in 1834 when the Spanish Philippine government organized a civil government in the former Province of Misamis. The following capitans were appointed:
* Don Domingo Ruiz,
* Martino Belarmino,
* Francisco Magallanes,
* Victorio Gobune,
* someone with the surname of Toribio,
* Venancio Narvaez,
* Francisco Orbita,
* Bautista Narvaez,
* Martencio Yebes, and
* Sabino Bengua.
For another time, capitan was substituted to gobernadorcillo. The following men who had served the town as such were:
* Andres Velasco,
* Juan Abendano,
* Juan Baez,
* Andres Yebanes,
* Martillano Barrios,
* Pedro Ruiz,
* Pablo Narvaez,
* Tiburcio Sorronda,
* Macias Velasco,
* Marcelino Zorilla,
* Cirilo Sorronda,
* Gabina Orbita,
* Santos Yebanes, and
* Bonifacio Posadas.
Around January 1889, the Gobernadorcillo position is reverted to capitan before the occurrence of the Philippine Independence of 1898. The following were appointed to the position:
* Martin Fernandez,
* Tomas Narvacan,
* Eustaquio Cajocon,
* Simplicio Lacaya,
* Basilio Tabiliran,
* Maximiano Ruiz, and
* Bruno Ordinaria.
In 1900, the capitan designation was renamed presidente local, and then renamed again to municipal president from 1901 to the time Dipolog was reverted to a barrio of Dapitan in March 1904. The following served that position:
* Martin Fernandez,
* Diosdado Mercado,
* Gaudencio Zorilla, and
* Isidro Patangan (Municipal President, 1901 - March 1904).
In 1912, the Governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, General John "Black Jack" Pershing granted the petition of separating Dipolog from Dapitan (which Dipolog was a barrio of since it was reverted to such in 1904), and reorganize as a municipality again. As Dipolog was being created as a municipality in 1913, Municipal President of Dapitan Pascual Tan Martinez, a citizen of Dipolog, was appointed as the Municipal President of Dipolog.
Republic Act No. 5520, the Charter of the City of Dipolog was signed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on June 23, 1969, and Dipolog became a city on January 1, 1970. Felicisimo Herrera, who was Municipal Mayor since 1963, became City Mayor on the day of its cityhood.

## Functions and duties

The Local Government Code of 1991 outlines the functions and duties of the city mayor as follows:
* Exercise general supervision and control over all programs, projects, services, and activities of the city government;
* Enforce all laws and ordinances relative to the governance of the city and in the exercise of the appropriate corporate powers provided for under Section 22 of the Code, implement all approved policies, programs, projects, services and activities of the city;
* Initiate and maximize the generation of resources and revenues, and apply the same to the implementation of development plans, program objectives and priorities as provided for under Section 18 of the Code, particularly those resources and revenues programmed for agro-industrial development and countryside growth and progress;
* Ensure the delivery of basic services and the provision of adequate facilities as provided for under Section 17 of the Code;
* Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance.

## List

| № | Name | Term Began | Term Ended | Notes |
| Appointed as Mayor of the Municipality of Dipolog ||||||
| 1 | Pascual T. Martinez (Pascual Tan Martinez) | 1913 | 1921 | Appointed as Municipal President of Dapitan since 1910 prior to Dipolog's reestablishment. |
| 2 | Paciano J. Ortega (Paciano Jarmin Ortega) | 1922 | 1922 | Served in an ad interim position. Previously served as a municipal councilor in the first special local election, and then as municipal vice president in 1913. |
| 3 | Gaudencio Bendijo | 1922 | 1922 | Served for only three months. |
| 4 | Isabelo Z. Echavez (Isabelo Zorilla Echavez) | 1922 | 1925 | Served in an ad interim position. |
| 5 | Geronimo Gonzales (Geronimo Adraincem Gonzales) | 1926 | 1927 | |
| 6 | Felipe B. Lacaya (Felipe Belarmino Lacaya) | 1928 | 1928 | Served in an ad interim position. |
| 7 | Fermin D. Kagatan | 1929 | 1930 | |
| 8 | Gerino Z. Lailay (Gerino Zorilla Lailay) | 1930 | 1935 | |
| Elected as Mayor of the Municipality of Dipolog ||||||
| (8) | Gerino Z. Lailay (Gerino Zorilla Lailay) | 1936 | 1937 | |
| 9 | Vicente Calibo (Vicente Acain Calibo) | 1938 | 1946 | |
| (7) | Fermin D. Kagatan | 1946 | 1955 | Elected for a non-consecutive term. |
| 10 | Pastor R. Bajamunde (Pastor Ranillo Bajamunde) | 1956 | 1959 | |
| 11 | Virginio B. Lacaya (Virginio Barbaso Lacaya) | 1960 | 1963 | |
| 12 | Felicisimo L. Herrera (Felicisimo Lao Herrera) | 1963 | 1969 | Last elected Municipal Mayor prior to cityhood. |
| Mayor of the City of Dipolog ||||||
| (12) | Felicisimo L. Herrera (Felicisimo Lao Herrera) | January 1970 | May 1978 | First City Mayor following cityhood. |
| 13 | Roseller "Matoy" L. Barinaga (Roseller Lara Barinaga) | May 1978 | April 1986 | Previously served as vice mayor prior to becoming mayor. |
| 14 | Dario B. Lacaya (Dario Barbaso Lacaya) | April 21, 1986 | December 2, 1987 | Served in an officer in charge (OIC) capacity. |
| 15 | Luis B. Paloma | December 3, 1987 | January 7, 1988 | Served in an officer in charge (OIC) capacity. |
| 16 | Pascual B. Bajamunde (Pascual Binal Bajamunde) | January 8, 1988 | February 1, 1988 | Served in an officer in charge (OIC) capacity. |
| (13) | Roseller "Matoy" L. Barinaga (Roseller Lara Barinaga) | February 2, 1988 | March 27, 1998 | Resigned to run for congressman of Zamboanga del Norte's 2nd congressional district, which includes Dipolog. |
| 17 | Edelburgo "Bebs" L. Cheng (Edelburgo Lim Cheng) | March 27, 1998 | June 30, 1998 | Served in an acting capacity. Cheng was vice mayor from 1995 when he assumed as acting mayor after Mayor Barinaga's resignation, only to be re-elected as vice mayor in 1998. |
| 18 | Roberto "Berto" Y. Uy (Roberto Yu Uy) | July 1, 1998 | June 30, 2007 | Previously served as officer in charge (OIC) Barangay Captain of Barangay Central for an unspecified period. |
| 19 | Evelyn "Belen" T. Uy (Evelyn Tang Uy) | July 1, 2007 | June 30, 2016 | Served as First Lady of Dipolog during the tenure of Mayor Roberto Uy (1998 - 2007). |
| 20 | Darel Dexter T. Uy (Darel Dexter Tang Uy) | July 1, 2016 | Incumbent (Term expires 30 June 2025) | Elected in 2016, 2019, and 2022. |

## Vice mayor of Dipolog

The Vice Mayor is the second-highest official of the city. The vice mayor is elected via popular vote; although most mayoral candidates have running mates, the vice mayor is elected separately from the mayor. This can result in the mayor and the vice mayor coming from different political parties.
The Vice Mayor is the presiding officer of the Dipolog City Council, although he can only vote as the tiebreaker. When a mayor is removed from office, the vice mayor becomes the mayor until the scheduled next election.
Senen O. Angeles (2004 - 2013, 2022–present) is the currently the vice mayor; he once served as City Councilor (2001 - 2004) and was Zamboanga del Norte Vice Governor (2013 – 2022).

## Post-mayoral life

After leaving office, a number of mayors held various public positions and made an effort to remain in the limelight.
* Virginio B. Lacaya became Governor of Zamboanga del Norte from 1967 until his retirement from politics in 1980.
* Roseller L. Barinaga became Congressman of the 2nd District of Zamboanga del Norte from 1998 until 2007. He ran for Mayor of Dipolog in 2007, 2nd District Congressman in 2010, and City Councilor in 2013 but was lost in those respective positions. He was then appointed as Undersecretary for Mindanao of the National Anti-Poverty Commission until his resignation to run for 2nd District Board Member of Zamboanga del Norte for the 2019 Local Elections to which he lost. He ran for and won as Dipolog councilor in the 2022 Local Elections.
* Roberto Y. Uy ran for Governor of Zamboanga del Norte in 2007, but was defeated by incumbent Governor Rolando E. Yebes. He briefly retired from politics, until he successfully ran for, won as, and served as Governor of Zamboanga del Norte from 2013 to 2022.
* Evelyn T. Uy, after her tenure as City Mayor in 2016, made her run for City Mayor of Dapitan, Dipolog's neighboring city, in the 2019 Local Elections, but was defeated by incumbent Mayor Rosalina G. Jalosjos. She then made her run for Governor of Zamboanga del Norte facing Jalosjos again, but was defeated.