Governor-General of the Philippines

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Governor-General of the Philippines Gobernador-General de las Filipinas/Capitán General de las Filipinas Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas/Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas フィリピン総督
Residence	Fort San Pedro (1565–1572) Palacio del Gobernador (1572–1863) Malacañang Palace (1863–1945) Mansion House (1942–1945)
Appointer	Viceroy of New Spain Monarch of Spain Monarch of Great Britain President of the United States Emperor of Japan
Precursor	Various, the barangay system
Formation	27 April 1565
First holder	Miguel López de Legazpi (under Spain) Dawsonne Drake (under Great Britain) Wesley Merritt (under the United States) Masaharu Homma (under Japan)
Final holder	Diego de los Ríos (under Spain) Dawsonne Drake (under Great Britain) Frank Murphy (under the United States) Tomoyuki Yamashita (under Japan)
Abolished	6 October 1945

The Governor-General of the Philippines (Spanish: Gobernador-General de las Filipinas/Capitán General de las Filipinas; Filipino: Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas/Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas; Japanese: フィリピン総督 (Firipin sōtoku)) was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain (1565–1898) and the United States (1898–1946), and briefly by Great Britain (1762–1764) and Japan (1942–1945). They were also the representative of the executive of the ruling power.

On November 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established as a transitional government to prepare the country for independence from American control. The governor-general was replaced by an elected Filipino "President of the Philippine Commonwealth", as the chief executive of the Philippines, taking over many of the duties of the Governor-General. The former American Governor-General then became known as the High Commissioner to the Philippines.

Under New Spain (1565–1761)[]

From 1565 to 1898, the Philippines was under Spanish rule. From 1565 to 1821, the governor and captain-general was appointed by the Viceroy of New Spain upon recommendation of the Spanish Cortes and governed on behalf of the Monarch of Spain to govern the Captaincy General of the Philippines. When there was a vacancy (e.g. death, or during the transitional period between governors), the Real Audiencia in Manila appoints a temporary governor from among its members.

After 1821, the country was no longer under the Viceroyalty of New Spain (present-day Mexico) and administrative affairs formerly handled by New Spain were transferred to Madrid and placed directly under the Spanish Crown.

  Ad interim   Real Audiencia

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Viceroy of New Spain	Monarch
1		Miguel López de Legazpi	April 27, 1565	August 20, 1572	Francisco Ceinos, Dean of the Audiencia (August 1, 1564 – October 19, 1566)	Philip II Felipe II House of Habsburg (July 25, 1554 – September 13, 1598)
					Gastón Carrillo de Peralta y Bosquete, 3rd Marquess of Falces (October 19, 1566 – November 11, 1567)
					Licenciado Alonso de Muñoz and Licenciado Luís Carrillo (November 11, 1567 – April 1568)
					Licenciado Alonso de Muñoz (April 1568 – April 14, 1568)
					Francisco Ceinos, Dean of the Audiencia (April 14, 1568 – November 4, 1568)
					Martín Enríquez de Almanza (November 5, 1568 – October 4, 1580)
2		Guido de Lavezaris	August 20, 1572	August 25, 1575
3		Francisco de Sande	August 25, 1575	April 1580
4		Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa	April 1580	March 10, 1583
					Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza, 4th Count of La Coruña (October 4, 1580 – June 19, 1583)
5		Diego Ronquillo	March 10, 1583	May 16, 1584
					Luís de Villanueva y Zapata, Dean of the Audiencia (June 19, 1583 – September 24, 1584)
6		Santiago de Vera	May 16, 1584	May 1590
					Pedro de Moya y Contrerás (Archbishop of Mexico) (September 25, 1584 – October 17, 1585)
					Álvaro Manrique de Zúñiga 1st Marquess of Villamanrique (October 17, 1585 – January 27, 1590)
7		Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas	June 1, 1590	October 25, 1593	Luís de Velasco Marquess of Salinas (January 27, 1590 – November 5, 1595)
8		Pedro de Rojas	October 1593	December 3, 1593
9		Luís Pérez Dasmariñas	December 3, 1593	July 14, 1596
					Gaspar de Zúñiga Acevedo y Fonseca, 5th Count of Monterrey (November 5, 1595 – October 27, 1603)
10		Francisco de Tello de Guzmán	July 14, 1596	May 1602
						Philip III Felipe III House of Habsburg (September 13, 1598 – March 31, 1621)
11		Pedro Bravo de Acuña	May 1602	June 24, 1606
					Juan de Mendoza y Luna, Marquess of Montesclaros (October 27, 1603 – July 2, 1607)
12		Cristóbal Téllez de Almanza (Real Audiencia)	June 24, 1606	June 15, 1608
					Luís de Velasco Marquess of Salinas (July 2, 1607 – June 19, 1611)
13		Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia	June 15, 1608	April 1609
14		Juan de Silva	April 1609	April 19, 1616
					García Guerra, O.P. (Archbishop of Mexico) (June 19, 1611 – February 22, 1612)
					Pedro Otárola, Dean of the Audiencia (22 February 1612 – 18 October 1612)
					Diego Fernández de Córdoba, Marquess of Guadalcázar and Count of Posadas (October 18, 1612 – March 14, 1621)
15		Andrés Alcaraz (Real Audiencia)	April 19, 1616	July 3, 1618
16		Alonso Fajardo de Entenza	July 3, 1618	July 1624
					Paz de Valecillo, Dean of the Audiencia (March 14, 1621 – September 11, 1621)	Philip IV Felipe IV House of Habsburg (March 31, 1621 – September 17, 1665)
					Diego Carrillo de Mendoza y Pimentel, 1st Marquess of Gélves (September 12, 1621 – November 1, 1624)
17		Jeronimo de Silva (Real Audiencia)	July 1624	June 1625
					Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio de Toledo, 3rd Marquess of Cerralvo (November 3, 1624 – September 16, 1635)
18		Fernándo de Silva	July 1624	June 29, 1626
19		Juan Niño de Tabora	June 29, 1626	July 22, 1632
20		Lorenzo de Olaza (Real Audiencia)	July 22, 1632	1633
21		Juan Cerezo de Salamanca	August 29, 1633	June 25, 1635
22		Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera	June 25, 1635	August 11, 1644
					Lope Díez de Aux de Armendáriz, Marquess of Cadreita (September 16, 1635 – August 28, 1640)
					Diego Roque López Pacheco Cabrera y Bobadilla, 7th Duke of Escalona, 7th Marquess of Villena and 7th Count of Xiquena (August 28, 1640 – June 10, 1642)
					Juan de Palafox y Mendoza (Bishop of Puebla) (June 10, 1642 – November 23, 1642)
					García Sarmiento de Sotomayor, 2nd Count of Salvatierra and Marquess of Sobroso (November 23, 1642 – May 14, 1648)
23		Diego Fajardo Chacón	August 11, 1644	July 25, 1653
					Marcos de Torres y Rueda (Bishop of Yucatan) (May 15, 1648 – April 22, 1649)
					Matías de Peralta, Dean of the Audiencia (April 22, 1649 – June 28, 1650)
					Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, 9th Count of Alba de Liste and Marquess of Villaflor (June 28, 1650 – August 15, 1653)
24		Sabiniano Manrique de Lara	July 25, 1653	September 8, 1663	Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 8th Duke of Alburquerque, Marquess of Cuéllar, Count of Ledesma and of Huelma (August 15, 1653 – September 16, 1660)
					Juan de Leyva de la Cerda, Marquess of Adrada (September 16, 1660 – June 29, 1664)
25		Diego de Salcedo	September 8, 1663	September 28, 1668
					Diego Osorio de Escobar y Llamas (Bishop of Puebla) (June 29, 1664 – October 15, 1664)	Charles II Carlos II House of Habsburg (September 17, 1665 – November 1, 1700)
					Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar, 2nd Marquess of Mancera (October 16, 1664 – November 20, 1673)
26		Juan Manuel de la Peña Bonifaz	September 28, 1668	September 24, 1669
27		Manuel de León	September 24, 1669	September 21, 1677
					Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal y Castro, 6th Duke of Veragua, 6th Marquess of Jamaica and 6th Count of Gelves (November 20, 1673 – December 13, 1673)
					Payo Enríquez de Rivera Manrique, O.S.A. (Bishop of Guatemala and Archbishop of Mexico) (December 13, 1673 – November 7, 1680)
28		Francisco Coloma y Maceda (Real Audiencia)	April 11, 1677	September 25, 1677
29		Francisco Sotomayor y Mansilla (Real Audiencia)	September 21, 1677	September 28, 1678
30		Juan de Vargas y Hurtado	September 28, 1678	August 24, 1684
					Tomás Antonio Manuel Lorenzo de la Cerda y Aragón 3rd Marquess of La Laguna de Camero Viejo (November 7, 1680 – June 16, 1686)
31		Gabriel de Curuzealegui y Arriola	August 24, 1684	April 1689
					Melchor Portocarrero y Lasso de la Vega, 3rd Count of Monclova (June 16, 1686 – November 20, 1688)
					Gaspar Melchor Baltasar de la Cerda Silva Sandoval y Mendoza, 8th Count of Galve, Lord of Salcedón and Tortola (November 20, 1688 – February 27, 1696)
32		Alonso de Avila Fuertes (Real Audiencia)	April 1689	July 1690
33		Fausto Cruzat y Gongora	July 25, 1690	December 8, 1701
					Juan de Ortega Cano Montañez y Patiño (Bishop of Durango, Guatemala, Michoacán and Archbishop of Mexico) (February 27, 1696 – December 18, 1696)	Philip V Felipe V House of Bourbon (November 1, 1700 – January 15, 1724)
					José Sarmiento Valladares Arines de Romay, 1st Duke of Atrisco, Count of Moctezuma and of Tula (December 18, 1696 – November 4, 1701)
34		Domingo Zabálburu de Echevarri	December 8, 1701	August 25, 1709	Juan de Ortega Cano Montañez y Patiño (Archbishop of Mexico) (November 4, 1701 – November 27, 1702)
					Francisco V Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez y Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque and Marquess of Cuéllar (November 27, 1702 – November 13, 1710)
35		Martín de Urzúa y Arizmendi, count of Lizárraga	August 25, 1709	February 4, 1715
					Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva, 1st Duke of Linares and Marquess of Valdefuentes (November 13, 1710 – July 16, 1716)
36		José Torralba (Real Audiencia)	February 4, 1715	August 9, 1717
					Baltasar de Zúñiga Guzmán Sotomayor y Mendoza, 1st Duke of Arión and Marquess of Valero (July 16, 1716 – October 15, 1722)
37		Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda	August 9, 1717	October 11, 1719
-		Archbishop Francisco de la Cuesta (Acting)	October 11, 1719	August 6, 1721
38		Toribio José Cosio y Campo	August 6, 1721	August 14, 1729
						Louis I Luis Felipe House of Bourbon (January 15, 1724 – August 31, 1724)
					Juan de Acuña y Bejarano, 2nd Marquess of Casa Fuerte (October 15, 1722 – March 17, 1734)	Philip V Felipe V House of Bourbon (September 6, 1724 – July 9, 1746)
39		Fernándo Valdés y Tamon	August 14, 1729	July 1739
					Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta (Archbishop of Mexico) (March 17, 1734 – August 17, 1740)
40		Gaspar de la Torre y Ayala	July 1739	September 21, 1745
					Pedro de Castro Figueroa y Salazar, 1st Duke of La Conquista and 1st Marquess of Gracia Real (August 17, 1740 – August 22, 1741)
					Pedro Malo de Villavicencio, President of the Audiencia (August 23, 1741 – November 2, 1742)
					Pedro Cebrián y Agustín, 5th Count of Fuenclara (November 3, 1742 – July 9, 1746)
-		Archbishop Juan de Arechederra (Acting)	September 21, 1745	July 20, 1750
					Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas, 1st Count of Revillagigedo (July 9, 1746 – November 9, 1755)	Ferdinand VI Fernando VI House of Bourbon (July 9, 1746 – August 10, 1759)
41		Francisco José de Ovando, 1st Marquis of Brindisi	July 20, 1750	July 26, 1754
42		Pedro Manuel de Arandía Santisteban	July 26, 1754	May 31, 1759
					Agustín de Ahumada y Villalón, Marquess of Amarillas (November 10, 1755 – February 5, 1760)
-		Bishop Miguel Lino de Ezpeleta (Acting)	June 1759	May 31, 1761
					Francisco Antonio de Echávarri, Dean of the Audiencia (February 5, 1760 – April 28, 1760)	Charles III Carlos III House of Bourbon (August 10, 1759 – December 14, 1788)
					Francisco Cajigal de la Vega (April 28, 1760 – October 5, 1760)
					Joaquín de Montserrat, Marquess of Cruillas (October 5, 1760 – August 24, 1766)
-		Archbishop Manuel Rojo del Río y Vieyra (Acting)	July 1761	October 6, 1762

British occupation of Manila (1761–1764)[]

After the Spanish defeat at the Battle of Manila in 1762, the Philippines was shortly governed simultaneously by two Governors-General of the Spanish Empire and the British Empire.

Great Britain shortly occupied Manila and the naval port of Cavite as part of the Seven Years' War, while the Spanish Governor-General set up a provisional government in Bacolor, Pampanga to continue administering the rest of the archipelago.

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Monarch
43		Simón de Anda y Salazar (Provisional Government in Bacolor, Pampanga)	October 6, 1762	February 10, 1764	Charles III Carlos III House of Bourbon (August 10, 1759 – December 14, 1788)
44		Dawsonne Drake	November 2, 1762	May 31, 1764	George III House of Hanover (October 25, 1760 – January 29, 1820)

Under New Spain (1764–1821)[]

After the British returned Manila to the Spanish in 1764, the Spanish Governor-General Francisco Javier de la Torre resumed administration of the Philippines under the authority of the Viceroy of New Spain in modern-day Mexico (New Spain) as part of the Spanish Empire.

The colonies were part of the First French Empire as part of Napoleon's invasion and occupation of Spain, until Joseph Bonaparte's abdication on December 11, 1813, following the aftermath of the Battle of Vitoria and the invasion of France through Spain by the Duke of Wellington.

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Viceroy of New Spain	Monarch
45		Francisco Javier de la Torre	March 17, 1764	July 6, 1765	Joaquín de Montserrat, Marquess of Cruillas (October 5, 1760 – August 24, 1766)	Charles III Carlos III House of Bourbon (August 10, 1759 – December 14, 1788)
46		José Antonio Raón y Gutiérrez	July 6, 1765	July 1770
					Carlos Francisco de Croix, Marquess of Croix (August 24, 1766 – September 22, 1771)
(43)		Simón de Anda y Salazar	July 1770	October 30, 1776
					Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa (September 22, 1771 – April 9, 1779)
47		Pedro de Sarrio	October 30, 1776	July 1778
48		José Basco y Vargas	July 1778	September 22, 1787
					Francisco Romá y Rosell, Regent of the Audiencia (April 10, 1779 – August 22, 1779)
					Martín de Mayorga Ferrer, Captain General of Guatemala (August 23, 1779 – April 28, 1783)
					Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo, Captain General of Guatemala (April 28, 1783 – October 20, 1784)
					Vicente de Herrera y Rivero, Regent of the Audiencia (October 20, 1784 – June 17, 1785)
					Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, 1st Viscount of Galveston and 1st Count of Gálvez (June 17, 1785 – November 30, 1786)
					Eusebio Sánchez Pareja y Beleño Regent of the Audiencia (November 30, 1786 – May 8, 1787)
					Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta (Archbishop of Mexico) (May 8, 1787 – August 16, 1787)
					Manuel Antonio Flórez Maldonado (August 16, 1787 – October 16, 1789)
(47)		Pedro de Sarrio	September 22, 1787	July 1, 1788
49		Félix Berenguer de Marquina	July 1, 1788	September 1, 1793
						Charles IV Carlos IV House of Bourbon (December 14, 1788 – March 19, 1808)
					Juan Vicente de Güemes Pacheco de Padilla y Horcasitas, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo (October 17, 1789 – July 11, 1794)
50		Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León	September 1, 1793	August 7, 1806
					Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca de Carini y Branciforte, 1st Marquess of Branciforte (July 12, 1794 – May 31, 1798)
					Miguel José de Azanza Alegría, 1st Duke of Santa Fe (May 31, 1798 – April 30, 1800)
					Félix Berenguer de Marquina (April 30, 1800 – January 4, 1803)
					José de Iturrigaray (January 4, 1803 – September 16, 1808)
51		Mariano Fernández de Folgueras	August 7, 1806	March 4, 1810
					Pedro de Garibay (16 September 1808 – 19 July 1809)	Ferdinand VII Fernando VII House of Bourbon (March 19, 1808 – May 6, 1808)
					Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont (Archbishop of Mexico) (July 19, 1809 – May 8, 1810)	Joseph Bonaparte José Napoleón House of Bonaparte (June 6, 1808 – December 11, 1813)
52		Manuel Gonzalez de Aguilar	March 4, 1810	September 4, 1813	Pedro Catani (May 8, 1810 – September 14, 1810)
					Francisco Javier Venegas, 1st Marquess of Reunión and of New Spain (September 14, 1810 – March 4, 1813)
					Félix María Calleja del Rey, 1st Count of Calderón (March 4, 1813 – September 20, 1816)
53		José Gardoqui Jaraveitia	September 4, 1813	December 10, 1816
					Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, 1st Count of Venadito (September 20, 1816 – July 5, 1821)	Ferdinand VII Fernando VII House of Bourbon (December 11, 1813 – September 29, 1833)
(51)		Mariano Fernández de Folgueras	December 10, 1816	September 15, 1821
					Francisco Novella Azabal Pérez y Sicardo (July 15, 1821 – July 21, 1821)
					Juan O'Donojú (July 21, 1821 – September 28, 1821)

Direct Spanish control (1821–1898)[]

After the 1821 Mexican War of Independence, Mexico became independent and was no longer part of the Spanish Empire. The Viceroyalty of New Spain ceased to exist. The Philippines, as a result, was directly governed from Madrid, under the Spanish Crown.

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Monarch
(51)		Mariano Fernández de Folgueras	September 16, 1821	October 30, 1822	Ferdinand VII Fernando VII House of Bourbon (December 11, 1813 – September 29, 1833)
54		Juan Antonio Martínez	October 30, 1822	October 14, 1825
55		Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca	October 14, 1825	December 23, 1830
56		Pasqual Enrile y Alcedo	December 23, 1830	March 1, 1835
					Isabella II Isabel II House of Bourbon (September 29, 1833 – September 30, 1868)
57		Gabriel de Torres	March 1, 1835	April 23, 1835
58		Joaquín de Crame	April 23, 1835	September 9, 1835
59		Pedro Antonio Salazar Castillo y Varona	September 9, 1835	August 27, 1837
60		Andrés García Camba	August 27, 1837	December 29, 1838
61		Luis Lardizábal	December 29, 1838	February 14, 1841
62		Marcelino de Oraá	February 14, 1841	June 17, 1843
63		Francisco de Paula Alcalá de la Torre	June 17, 1843	July 16, 1844
64		Narciso Clavería, 1st Count of Manila	July 16, 1844	December 26, 1849
65		Antonio María Blanco	December 26, 1849	July 29, 1850
66		Antonio de Urbistondo y Eguía	July 29, 1850	December 20, 1853
67		Ramón Montero y Blandino	December 20, 1853	February 2, 1854
68		Manuel Pavía, 1st Marquis of Novaliches	February 2, 1854	October 28, 1854
(67)		Ramón Montero y Blandino	October 28, 1854	November 20, 1854
69		Manuel Crespo y Cebrían	November 20, 1854	December 5, 1856
(67)		Ramón Montero y Blandino	December 5, 1856	March 9, 1857
70		Fernándo Norzagaray y Escudero	March 9, 1857	January 12, 1860
71		Ramón María Solano y Llanderal	January 12, 1860	August 29, 1860
72		Juan Herrera Dávila	August 29, 1860	February 2, 1861
73		José Lemery e Ibarrola Ney y González	February 2, 1861	July 7, 1862
74		Salvador Valdés	July 7, 1862	July 9, 1862
75		Rafaél de Echagüe y Bermingham	July 9, 1862	March 24, 1865
76		Joaquín del Solar e Ibáñez	March 24, 1865	April 25, 1865
77		Juan de Lara e Irigoyen	April 25, 1865	July 13, 1866
78		José Laureano de Sanz y Posse	July 13, 1866	September 21, 1866
79		Juan Antonio Osorio	September 21, 1866	September 27, 1866
(76)		Joaquín del Solar e Ibáñez	September 27, 1866	October 26, 1866
80		José de la Gándara y Navarro	October 26, 1866	June 7, 1869
					No Monarch
81		Manuel Maldonado	June 7, 1869	June 23, 1869
82		Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada	June 23, 1869	April 4, 1871
					Amadeo I House of Savoy (December 16, 1870 – February 11, 1873)
83		Rafael de Izquierdo y Gutíerrez	April 4, 1871	January 8, 1873
84		Manuel MacCrohon	January 8, 1873	January 24, 1873
85		Juan Alaminos y Vivar	January 24, 1873	March 17, 1874
					No Monarch
-		Manuel Blanco Valderrama (Acting)	March 17, 1874	June 18, 1874
86		José Malcampo y Monje	June 18, 1874	February 28, 1877
					Alfonso XII House of Bourbon (December 29, 1874 – November 25, 1885)
87		Domingo Moriones y Murillo	February 28, 1877	March 20, 1880
88		Rafael Rodríguez Arias	March 20, 1880	April 15, 1880
89		Fernando Primo de Rivera, 1st Marquis of Estella	April 15, 1880	March 10, 1883
-		Emilio Molíns 1st term, (Acting)	March 10, 1883	April 7, 1883
90		Joaquín Jovellar	April 7, 1883	April 1, 1885
-		Emilio Molíns 2nd term, (Acting)	April 1, 1885	April 4, 1885
91		Emilio Terrero y Perinat	April 4, 1885	April 25, 1888
					Alfonso XIII House of Bourbon (May 17, 1886 – August 14, 1898)
-		Antonio Moltó y Díaz Berrio (Acting)	April 25, 1888	June 4, 1888
-		Federico Lobatón y Prieto (Acting)	June 4, 1888	June 5, 1888
92		Valeriano Wéyler	June 5, 1888	November 17, 1891
93		Eulogio Despujol	November 17, 1891	March 1, 1893
-		Federico Ochando (Acting)	March 1, 1893	May 4, 1893
94		Ramón Blanco, 1st Marquis of Peña Plata	May 4, 1893	December 13, 1896
-		Camilo de Polavieja, 1st Marquis of Polavieja (Acting)	December 13, 1896	April 15, 1897
-		José de Lachambre (Acting)	April 15, 1897	April 23, 1897
95		Fernando Primo de Rivera, 1st Marquis of Estella	April 23, 1897	April 11, 1898
96		Basilio Augustín[1]	April 11, 1898	July 24, 1898
-		Fermín Jáudenes[1] (Acting)	July 24, 1898	August 13, 1898
-		Francisco Rizzo[1] (Acting)	August 13, 1898	September 1898
-		Diego de los Rios[1] (Acting)	September 1898	June 3, 1899

United States Military Government (1898–1902)[]

The city of Manila was captured by American expeditionary forces on 13 August 1898.^[2] On 14 August 1898, the terms of the Spanish capitulation were signed. From this date, American government in the Philippines begins.^[2] General Wesley Merritt, in accordance with the instructions of the United States President, issued a proclamation announcing the establishment of United States military rule.^[2]

During the transition period, executive authority in all civil affairs in the Philippine government was exercised by the military governor.

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	President
1		Wesley Merritt	August 14, 1898[3]	August 30, 1898[4]	William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901)
2		Elwell S. Otis	August 28, 1898	May 5, 1900
3		Arthur MacArthur, Jr.	May 5, 1900[5]	July 4, 1901
4		Adna Chaffee[6]	July 4, 1901	July 4, 1902

Insular Government (1901–1935)[]

On July 4, 1901, executive authority over the islands was transferred to the president of the Second Philippine Commission who had the title of Civil Governor, a position appointed by the President of the United States and approved by the United States Senate. For the first year, a Military Governor, Adna Chaffee, ruled parts of the country still resisting the American rule, concurrent with Civil Governor, William Howard Taft.^[7] Disagreements between the two were not uncommon.^[8] The following year, on July 4, 1902, Taft became the sole executive authority.^[6] Chaffee remained commander of the Philippine Division until September 30, 1902.^[9]

After his retirement as Civil Governor, Governor Taft was appointed Secretary of War and he secured for his successor the adoption by Congress^[10] of the title Governor-General of the Philippine Islands thereby "reviving the high designation used during the last period of Spanish rule and placing the office on a parity of dignity with that of other colonial empires of first importance".^[2] The term "insular" (from insula, the Latin word for island)^[11] refers to U.S. island territories that are not incorporated into either a state or a federal district. All insular areas were under the authority of the U.S. Bureau of Insular Affairs, a division of the US War Department.^[12][13]

OO	Picture	Name	From	Until	President
1		William Howard Taft	July 4, 1901	February 1, 1904	William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901) Theodore Roosevelt (September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909)
					Theodore Roosevelt (September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909)
2		Luke Edward Wright	February 1, 1904	November 3, 1905
3		Henry Clay Ide	November 3, 1905	September 19, 1906
4		James Francis Smith	September 20, 1906	November 11, 1909
5		William Cameron Forbes	November 11, 1909	September 1, 1913	William Howard Taft (March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913)
-		Newton W. Gilbert (Acting Governor-General)	September 1, 1913	October 6, 1913	Woodrow Wilson (March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921)
6		Francis Burton Harrison	October 6, 1913	March 5, 1921
-		Charles Yeater (Acting Governor-General)	March 5, 1921	October 14, 1921	Warren G. Harding (March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923) Calvin Coolidge (August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929)
7		Leonard Wood	October 14, 1921	August 7, 1927
-		Eugene Allen Gilmore (Acting Governor-General)	August 7, 1927	December 27, 1927	Calvin Coolidge (August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929)
8		Henry L. Stimson	December 27, 1927	February 23, 1929
-		Eugene Allen Gilmore (Acting Governor-General)	February 23, 1929	July 8, 1929	Herbert Hoover (March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933)
9		Dwight F. Davis	July 8, 1929	January 9, 1932
-		George C. Butte (Acting Governor-General)	January 9, 1932	February 29, 1932
10		Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.	February 29, 1932	July 15, 1933
11		Frank Murphy	July 15, 1933	November 14, 1935 Became High Commissioner to the Philippines	Franklin D. Roosevelt (March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945)

High Commissioner to the Philippines (1935–42 and 1945–46)[]

On November 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated as a transitional government to prepare the country for independence. The office of President of the Philippine Commonwealth replaced the Governor-General as the country's chief executive. The Governor-General became the High Commissioner of the Philippines with Frank Murphy, the last governor-general, as the first high commissioner. The High Commissioner exercised no executive power but rather represented the colonial power, the United States Government, in the Philippines. The high commissioner moved from Malacañang Palace to the newly built High Commissioner's Residence, now the Embassy of the United States in Manila.

After the Philippine independence on July 4, 1946, the last High Commissioner, Paul McNutt, became the first United States Ambassador to the Philippines.

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	President
1		Frank Murphy	November 14, 1935	April 26, 1937	Franklin D. Roosevelt (March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945)
2		Paul V. McNutt	April 26, 1937	July 12, 1939
3		Francis Bowes Sayre, Sr.	April 12, 1939	October 12, 1942
4		Paul V. McNutt	September 14, 1945	July 4, 1946 Following Philippine independence became 1st U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines	Harry S. Truman (April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953)

Japanese military governors (1942–1945)[]

In December 1941, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was invaded by Japan as part of World War II. The next year, the Empire of Japan sent a military governor to control the country during wartime, followed by the formal establishment of the puppet second republic.^[14]

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Emperor
1		Homma Masaharu 本間 雅晴	January 3, 1942	June 8, 1942	Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa) 昭和天皇
2		Tanaka Shizuichi 田中 静壱	June 8, 1942	May 28, 1943
3		Kuroda Shigenori 黒田 重徳	May 28, 1943	September 26, 1944
4		Yamashita Tomoyuki 山下 奉文	September 26, 1944	September 2, 1945

On September 2, 1945, the position of Governor-General of the Philippines was abolished. The Philippines' independence from the United States was proclaimed on July 4, 1946, installing Manuel Roxas as the fourth President of the Philippines and ushering in the Third Philippine Republic.

Timelines[]

1750–1800[]

1800–1850[]

1850–1898[]

1898–1946[]

See also[]

• Filipino styles and honorifics
• List of sovereign state leaders in the Philippines
• List of recorded datu in the Philippines
• President of the Philippines
• List of presidents of the Philippines
• Audiencia
• List of Viceroys of New Spain
• Spanish Empire
• History of the Philippines
• Military History of the Philippines
• United States Territory
• Governor-General
• Lists of office-holders
• Gobernadorcillo

Notes[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors-General of the Philippines.

References[]

• Governors of the Philippines
• Cahoon, Ben (2000). "Philippines". World's Statesmen.
• Don Peterson (2007-2nd Qtr), 1898: Five Philippine Governors-General Serve Rapid Fire Terms, Philippine Philatelic Journal.
• Tanner, Dr. J.M. (1901-11). Improvement Era Vol.5 No. 1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
• Elliott, Charles Burke (1917). The Philippines: To the End of the Commission Government, a Study in Tropical Democracy. The Bobbs-Merrill Company.