Governor-General of the Philippines

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

British governor-general

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	Monarch
46a		Dawsonne Drake (1724–1784)	November 2, 1762	May 31, 1764	George III (1760–1820)

Spanish governor-general

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	Viceroy of New Spain	Monarch
47		Simón de Anda y Salazar (1709–1776)	October 6, 1762	February 10, 1764	Joaquín de Montserrat 1st Marquess of Cruillas (1760–1766)	Charles III (1759–1788)

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 Philippines, along with the rest of the Spanish Empire, became part of the First French Empire in 1808 after Napoleon overthrew Ferdinand VII and installed Joseph Bonaparte as king until his abdication in 1813, as part of a disastrous consequence of Napoleon's 1812 Russian canpaign, the Peninsular Wars, particularly the Battle of Vitoria, and of forming the Sixth Coalition.

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	Viceroy of New Spain	Monarch
48		Francisco Javier de la Torre Acting Governor-General	March 17, 1764	July 6, 1765	Joaquín de Montserrat 1st Marquess of Cruillas (1760–1766)	Charles III (1759–1788)
49		José Antonio Raón y Gutiérrez (1700–1773)	July 6, 1765	July 1770
					Carlos Francisco de Croix 1st Marquess of Croix (1766–1771)
(47)		Simón de Anda y Salazar (1709–1776)	July 1770	October 30, 1776
					Antonio María de Bucareli (1771–1779)
50		Pedro Sarrió Acting Governor-General	October 30, 1776	July 1778
51		José Basco y Vargas (1733–1805)	July 1778	September 22, 1787
					Francisco Romá y Rosell Regent of the Audiencia (1779)
					Martín de Mayorga Captain General of Guatemala (1779–1783)
					Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo Captain General of Guatemala (1783–1784)
					Vicente de Herrera y Rivero Regent of the Audiencia (1784–1785)
					Bernardo de Gálvez 1st Count of Gálvez (1785–1786)
					Eusebio Sánchez Pareja Regent of the Audiencia (1786–1787)
					Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta Archbishop of Mexico (1787)
					Manuel Antonio Flórez (1787–1789)
(50)		Pedro Sarrió Acting Governor-General	September 22, 1787	July 1, 1788
51		Félix Berenguer de Marquina (1733–1826)	July 1, 1788	September 1, 1793
						Charles IV (1788–1808)
					Juan Vicente de Güemes 2nd Count of Revillagigedo (1789–1794)
52		Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León (1737–1806)	September 1, 1793	August 7, 1806
					Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca 1st Marquess of Branciforte (1794–1798)
					Miguel José de Azanza 1st Duke of Santa Fe (1798–1800)
					Félix Berenguer de Marquina (1800–1803)
					José de Iturrigaray (1803–1808)
53		Mariano Fernández de Folgueras Acting Governor-General (1766–1823)	August 7, 1806	March 4, 1810
						Ferdinand VII (1808)
						Joseph Bonaparte (1808–1813)
					Pedro de Garibay (1808–1809)
					Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont Archbishop of Mexico (1809–1810)
54		Manuel González de Aguilar	March 4, 1810	September 4, 1813
					Pedro Catani (1810)
					Francisco Javier Venegas 1st Marquess of Reunión and New Spain (1810–1813)
					Félix María Calleja del Rey 1st Count of Calderón (1813–1816)
55		José de Gardoqui y Jarabeitia	September 4, 1813	December 10, 1816
						Ferdinand VII (1813–1833)
					Juan Ruiz de Apodaca 1st Count of Venadito (1816–1821)
(53)		Mariano Fernández de Folgueras Acting Governor-General (1766–1823)	December 10, 1816	September 15, 1821
					Francisco Novella Azabal Pérez y Sicardo (1821)
					Juan O'Donojú (1821)

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.

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	Monarch
(53)		Mariano Fernández de Folgueras Acting Governor-General (1766–1823)	September 16, 1821	October 30, 1822	Ferdinand VII (1813–1833)
54		Juan Antonio Martínez	October 30, 1822	October 14, 1825
55		Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca (1776–1846)	October 14, 1825	December 23, 1830
56		Pasqual Enrile y Alcedo (1772–1836)	December 23, 1830	March 1, 1835
					Isabella II (1833–1868)
57		Gabriel de Torres	March 1, 1835	April 23, 1835
58		Joaquín de Crame Acting Governor-General	April 23, 1835	September 9, 1835
59		Pedro Antonio Salazar Castillo y Varona Acting Governor-General	September 9, 1835	August 27, 1837
60		Andrés García Camba (1793–1861)	August 27, 1837	December 29, 1838
61		Luis Lardizábal	December 29, 1838	February 14, 1841
62		Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri (1788–1851)	February 14, 1841	June 17, 1843
63		Francisco de Paula Alcalá de la Torre	June 17, 1843	July 16, 1844
64		Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa 1st Count of Manila (1795–1851)	July 16, 1844	December 26, 1849
65		Antonio María Blanco Acting Governor-General	December 26, 1849	July 29, 1850
66		Juan Antonio de Urbiztondo, Marquis of La Solana (1803–1857)	July 29, 1850	December 20, 1853
67		Ramón Montero y Blandino Acting Governor-General	December 20, 1853	February 2, 1854
68		Manuel Pavía y Lacy 1st Marquess of Novaliches (1814–1896)	February 2, 1854	October 28, 1854
(67)		Ramón Montero y Blandino Acting Governor-General	October 28, 1854	November 20, 1854
69		Manuel Crespo y Cebrían (1793–1868)	November 20, 1854	December 5, 1856
(67)		Ramón Montero y Blandino Acting Governor-General	December 5, 1856	March 9, 1857
70		Fernándo Norzagaray y Escudero (1808–1860)	March 9, 1857	January 12, 1860
71		Ramón María Solano y Llanderal	January 12, 1860	August 29, 1860
(72)		Juan Herrera Dávila Acting Governor-General	August 29, 1860	February 2, 1861
73		José Lémery e Ibarrola (1811–1886)	February 2, 1861	July 7, 1862
74		Salvador Valdés Acting Governor-General	July 7, 1862	July 9, 1862
75		Rafaél de Echagüe y Bermingham (1815–1915)	July 9, 1862	March 24, 1865
76		Joaquín del Solar e Ibáñez Acting Governor-General	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 Acting Governor-General (1819–1898)	July 13, 1866	September 21, 1866
79		Juan Antonio Osorio Acting Governor-General	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 (1820–1885)	October 26, 1866	June 7, 1869
					Francisco Serrano 1st Duke of la Torre Regent (1868–1870)
(81)		Manuel Maldonado Acting Governor-General	June 7, 1869	June 23, 1869
82		Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada (1809–1879)	June 23, 1869	April 4, 1871
					Amadeo I (1870–1873)
83		Rafael Izquierdo y Gutiérrez (1820–1883)	April 4, 1871	January 8, 1873
(84)		Manuel MacCrohon Acting Governor-General	January 8, 1873	January 24, 1873
85		Juan Alaminos y Vivar (1813–1899)	January 24, 1873	March 17, 1874
					Estanislao Figueras President (1873)
					Francesc Pi i Margall President (1873)
					Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso President (1873)
					Emilio Castelar President (1873–1874)
					Francisco Serrano President (1874)
86		Manuel Blanco Valderrama Acting Governor-General	March 17, 1874	June 18, 1874
87		José Malcampo 3rd Marquess of San Rafael (1828–1880)	June 18, 1874	February 28, 1877
					Alfonso XII (1874–1885)
88		Domingo Moriones y Murillo (1823–1881)	February 28, 1877	March 20, 1880
89		Rafael Rodríguez Arias Acting Governor-General (1819–1898)	March 20, 1880	April 15, 1880
90		Fernando Primo de Rivera 1st Marquess of Estella (1831–1921)	April 15, 1880	March 10, 1883
(91)		Emilio Molíns Acting Governor-General (1824–1889)	March 10, 1883	April 7, 1883
92		Joaquín Jovellar y Soler (1819–1892)	April 7, 1883	April 1, 1885
(91)		Emilio Molíns Acting Governor-General (1824–1889)	April 1, 1885	April 4, 1885
92		Emilio Terrero y Perinat (1827–1890)	April 4, 1885	April 25, 1888
					Maria Christina Regent (1885–1886)
					Alfonso XIII (1886–1931)
93		Antonio Moltó y Díaz Berrio Acting Governor-General	April 25, 1888	June 4, 1888
94		Federico Lobatón y Prieto Acting Governor-General	June 4, 1888	June 5, 1888
95		Valeriano Weyler 1st Marquess of Tenerife (1838–1930)	June 5, 1888	November 17, 1891
96		Eulogio Despujol y Dusay 1st Count of Caspe (1834–1907)	November 17, 1891	March 1, 1893
97		Federico Ochando Acting Governor-General (1848–1929)	March 1, 1893	May 4, 1893
98		Ramón Blanco 1st Marquess of Peña Plata (1833–1906)	May 4, 1893	December 13, 1896
99		Camilo Garcia de Polavieja 1st Marquess of Polavieja Acting Governor-General (1838–1914)	December 13, 1896	April 15, 1897
100		José de Lachambre Acting Governor-General (1846–1903)	April 15, 1897	April 23, 1897
(90)		Fernando Primo de Rivera 1st Marquess of Estella (1831–1921)	April 23, 1897	April 11, 1898
101		Basilio Augustín[1] (1840–1910)	April 11, 1898	July 24, 1898
102		Fermín Jáudenes[1] Acting Governor-General (1836–1915)	July 24, 1898	August 13, 1898
103		Francisco Rizzo[1] Acting Governor-General (1831–1910)	August 13, 1898	September 1898
104		Diego de los Ríos[1] Acting Governor-General (1850–1911)	September 1898	June 3, 1899

The city of Manila was captured by American expeditionary forces on August 13, 1898.[2] On August 14, 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.

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	President
1		Wesley Merritt (1836–1910)	August 14, 1898[3]	August 30, 1898[4]	William McKinley (1897–1901)
2		Elwell Stephen Otis (1838–1909)	August 30, 1898	May 5, 1900
3		Arthur MacArthur Jr. (1845–1912)	May 5, 1900[5]	July 4, 1901
4		Adna Chaffee[6] (1842–1914)	July 4, 1901	July 4, 1902
					Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)

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]

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	President
1		William Howard Taft (1857–1930)	July 4, 1901	February 1, 1904	William McKinley (1897–1901)
					Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)
2		Luke Edward Wright (1846–1922)	February 1, 1904	November 3, 1905
3		Henry Clay Ide (1844–1921)	November 3, 1905	September 19, 1906
4		James Francis Smith (1859–1928)	September 20, 1906	November 11, 1909
					William Howard Taft (1909–1913)
5		William Cameron Forbes (1870–1959)	November 11, 1909	September 1, 1913
					Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
–		Newton W. Gilbert Acting Governor-General (1862–1939)	September 1, 1913	October 6, 1913
6		Francis Burton Harrison (1873–1957)	October 6, 1913	March 5, 1921
					Warren G. Harding (1921–1923)
–		Charles Yeater Acting Governor-General (1861–1943)	March 5, 1921	October 14, 1921
7		Leonard Wood (1860–1927)	October 14, 1921	August 7, 1927
					Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929)
–		Eugene Allen Gilmore Acting Governor-General (1861–1943)	August 7, 1927	December 27, 1927
8		Henry L. Stimson (1867–1950)	December 27, 1927	February 23, 1929
					Herbert Hoover (1929–1933)
–		Eugene Allen Gilmore Acting Governor-General (1861–1943)	February 23, 1929	July 8, 1929
9		Dwight F. Davis (1879–1945)	July 8, 1929	January 9, 1932
–		George C. Butte Acting Governor-General (1877–1940)	January 9, 1932	February 29, 1932
10		Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (1886–1944)	February 29, 1932	July 15, 1933
					Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
11		Frank Murphy (1890–1949)	July 15, 1933	November 14, 1935

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.

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	President
1		Frank Murphy (1890–1949)	November 14, 1935	December 31, 1936	Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
–		J. Weldon Jones Acting High Commissioner (1896–1982)	December 31, 1936	April 26, 1937
2		Paul V. McNutt (1891–1955)	April 26, 1937	July 12, 1939
–		J. Weldon Jones Acting High Commissioner (1896–1982)	July 12, 1939	October 28, 1939
3		Francis Bowes Sayre Sr. (1885–1972)	October 28, 1939	October 12, 1942
4		Harold L. Ickes (1874–1952)	October 12, 1942	September 14, 1945
					Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
5		Paul V. McNutt (1891–1955)	September 14, 1945	July 4, 1946

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]

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 fifth President of the Philippines and ushering in the Third Philippine Republic.

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end	Emperor
1		Masaharu Homma (1887–1946)	January 3, 1942	June 8, 1942	Emperor Shōwa (1926–1989)
2		Shizuichi Tanaka (1887–1945)	June 8, 1942	May 28, 1943
3		Shigenori Kuroda (1887–1952)	May 28, 1943	September 26, 1944
4		Tomoyuki Yamashita (1885–1946)	September 26, 1944	September 2, 1945

On October 29, 1901, the position of Vice-Governor was created. The Vice-Governor was appointed by the President of the United States to act as the Governor-General (known at that time as the Civil Governor) in case of illness or temporary absence.[15]

No.	Portrait	Name	Tenure start	Tenure end
1		Luke Edward Wright (1846–1922) [16]	October 29, 1901	January 31, 1904
2		Henry Clay Ide (1844–1921) [16]	February 1, 1904	March 30, 1906
3		William Cameron Forbes (1870–1959) [16]	July 31, 1908	November 10, 1909
4		Newton W. Gilbert (1862–1939) [16]	February 14, 1910	November 30, 1913
5		Henderson S. Martin [16]	December 1, 1913	June 28, 1917
6		Charles Yeater (1861–1943) [17]	June 29, 1917	January 25, 1922
7		Eugene Allen Gilmore (1861–1943) [18]	January 26, 1922	June 20, 1930
–		Nicholas Roosevelt Ad interim (1893–1982) [19]	July 29, 1930	September 24, 1930
8		George C. Butte (1877–1940) [20]	December 31, 1930	June 30, 1932
9		Joseph R. Hayden (1887–1945) [21]	November 7, 1933	November 15, 1935

• 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

• 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.

• Barrows, David P. (1916). "The Governor General of the Philippines Under Spain and the United States". The American Historical Review. Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Historical Association. 21 (2): 288–311 – via Jstor.
• Barrows, D.P. (2022). A History of the Philippines. DigiCat. ISBN 978-93-5462-590-9.