Governor of Albay

Governor of Albay
Punong Lalawigan ng Albay
Incumbent Noel Rosal since June 30, 2025
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Seat	Albay Provincial Capitol, Legazpi City
Appointer	Elected via popular vote
Term length	3 years, not eligible for re-election immediately after three consecutive terms
Inaugural holder	Jose Maria Peñaranda (Spanish administration) Anacleto M. Solano (Revolutionary Government) Arlington U. Betts (Civil Government)
Formation	1834 (start of the Spanish administration) 1898 (start of the Revolutionary Government) 1902 (start of the Civil Government by virtue of Philippine Commission Provincial Government Act)
Deputy	Vice Governor
Website	Official Website of the Province of Albay

The governor of Albay (Filipino : Punong Lalawigan ng Albay; Central Bikol : Gobernador kan Albay) is the chief executive of the provincial government of Albay, Philippines. 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.

The current governor is Noel E. Rosal, who was re-elected governor in the May 12, 2025 Midterm elections.

List of governors of Albay

Governors of Albay

SPANISH COLONIAL ERA (1885-1898)
No.	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
-	Juan Alvarez Guerra	1885 - 1890 (5 years, 0 days)	Spain
-	Antonio Diaz Valdes	1890 - 1893 (3 years, 0 days)	Spain
-	Angel de Bascaran Federich	1893 - September 22, 1898 (5 years, 264 days)	Spain

FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1898-1900)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
1		Anacleto M. Solano (Anacleto Solano y Moya)	September 22, 1898 - December 31, 1898 (100 days)	Camalig
2		Domingo S. Samson (Domingo Samson y Solano )	January 1, 1899 - September 15, 1900 (1 year, 257 days)	Camalig

PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE (1900-1937)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
3		Brig. Gen. William August Kobbé	January 15, 1900 - March 20, 1900 (64 days)	United States	Military Governor [1]
4		Gen. James M. Bell (James Montgomery Bell)	March 20, 1900 - February 23, 1902 (1 year, 340 days)	United States	Military Governor [2]
5		Arlington U. Betts (Arlington Ulysses Betts)	February 24, 1902 - March 6, 1904 (2 years, 11 days)	United States	[3]
6		Ramon F. Santos (Ramon Santos y Francisco)	March 7, 1904 - February 18, 1906 (1 year, 348 days)	Ligao	[4]
7		Charles A. Reynolds (Charles Albert Reynolds)	February 19, 1906 - February 20, 1908 (2 years, 1 day)	United States	[5]
(2)		Domingo S. Samson (Domingo Samson y Solano)	February 21, 1908 - October 15, 1912 (4 years, 237 days)	Camalig	[6]
8		Leoncio Duran Imperial (Leoncio Imperial y Duran)	October 16, 1912 - October 3, 1916 (3 years, 353 days)	Legazpi	[7]
9		Rufino S. Tuanqui (Rufino Tuanqui y Sarte)	October 3, 1916 - August 19, 1917 (320 days)	Polangui	[7]
10		Timoteo B. Alcala (Timoteo Alcala y Bautista)	August 20, 1917 - October 15, 1919 (3 years, 56 days)	Legazpi	Acting [7] [8]
11		Jose O. Vera (Jose Vera y Olfinas)	October 16, 1919 - October 15, 1922 (2 years, 364 days)	Pandan, Albay	[9]
(8)		Leoncio Duran Imperial (Leoncio Imperial y Duran)	October 16, 1922 - October 15, 1925 (2 years, 364 days)	Legazpi
12		Mariano A. Locsin (Mariano Locsin y Anson)	October 16, 1925 - October 15, 1934 (8 years, 364 days)	Daraga	[10]
13		Jose S. Imperial (Jose Imperial y Samson)	October 16, 1934 - December 30, 1937 (3 years, 75 days)	Legazpi	[11]

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES (1937-1946)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
14		Manuel M. Calleja (Manuel Calleja y Maronilla)	January 1, 1938 - December 30, 1940 (2 years, 364 days)	Libon	[12]
15		Saturnino R. Benito (Saturnino Benito y Rabana)	January 1, 1941 - 1945 (4 years, 0 days)	Legazpi	[13]
Act		Silvino R. Samson (Silvino Samson y Rabuy)	August 27, 1941 - September 24, 1941 (28 days)	Libon	[14]

JAPANESE OCCUPATION & SECOND PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1941-1945)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
(12)		Mariano A. Locsin (Mariano Locsin y Anson)	May 5, 1942 - February 1, 1943 (275 days)	Daraga	[15]
16		Julian B. Locsin, Jr. (Julian Locsin, Jr. y Ballesteros)	February 2, 1943 - April 30, 1944 (1 year, 88 days)	Daraga	[16]
(12)		Mariano A. Locsin (Mariano Locsin y Anson)	May 1, 1944 - September 29, 1945 (1 year, 151 days)	Daraga

THIRD PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1946-1972)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
17		Venancio Prieto Ziga (Venancio Ziga y Prieto)	June 13, 1946 - December 30, 1951 (5 years, 200 days)	Bacacay	[17]
(14)		Manuel M. Calleja (Manuel Calleja y Maronilla)	January 1, 1952 - December 30, 1955 (3 years, 363 days)	Libon	[12]
18		Nicanor A. Maronilla-Seva, Jr. (Nicanor Maronilla-Seva, Jr. y Aguilar)	January 1, 1956 - November 4, 1962 (6 years, 307 days)	Libon	[18] [19]
19		Jose S. Estevez, Sr. (Jose Estevez, Sr. y Sapalicio)	November 5, 1962 - December 30, 1971 (9 years, 55 days)	Legazpi	[20]

MARTIAL LAW & FOURTH PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1972-1986)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
20		Atty. Felix S. Imperial, Jr. (Felix Imperial, Jr. y Stedje)	January 1, 1972 - February 25, 1986 (14 years, 55 days)	Polangui	[21]

PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT (1986-1988)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
21		Crispin J. Rayala (Crispin Rayala y Jacob)	1986 - February 1, 1988 (1 year, 333 days)	Polangui	[22]
Act		Jose L. Sarte, Jr. (Jose Sarte, Jr. y Lozano)	1987	Polangui

FIFTH PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (1987-Present)
No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Place of Origin	Note(s)
22		Romeo R. Salalima (Romeo Salalima y Rayala)	February 2, 1988 - October 7, 1994 (6 years, 247 days)	Polangui	[23]
Act		Dominador I. Lim (Dominador Lim y Imperial)	October 7, 1994 - April 7, 1995 (182 days)	Legazpi	[23]
23		Victor San Andres Ziga (Victor Ziga y San Andres)	April 10, 1995 - June 30, 1995 (81 days)	Tabaco	[24]
24		Al Francis C. Bichara (Al Francis Bichara y Del Castillo)	June 30, 1995 - June 30, 2004 (9 years, 0 days)	Ligao	[25]
25		Fernando V. Gonzalez (Fernando Gonzales y Vallejo)	June 30, 2004 - June 30, 2007 (3 years, 0 days)	Ligao	[26]
26		Joey Salceda (Jose Ma. Clemente Salceda y Sarte)	June 30, 2007 - June 30, 2016 (9 years, 0 days)	Polangui	[27]
(24)		Al Francis C. Bichara (Al Francis Bichara y Del Castillo)	June 30, 2016 - June 30, 2022 (6 years, 0 days)	Ligao	[25]
27		Noel Rosal (Noel Rosal y Ebriega)	June 30, 2022 - December 1, 2022 (154 days)	Legazpi	[28]
28		Atty. Edcel Greco Lagman (Edcel Greco Alexandre Lagman y Burce)	December 2, 2022 - April 25, 2025 (2 years, 144 days)	Tabaco	[29] [30]
29		Glenda O. Bongao (Baby Glenda Bongao y Ong)	October 18, 2024 - April 18, 2025 (182 days) (as Acting Governor) April 25, 2025 - June 30, 2025 (66 days)	Tabaco	First Female Governor of Albay [31] [32]
(27)		Noel Rosal (Noel Rosal y Ebriega)	June 30, 2025 - Present 19 days	Legazpi	Incumbent

See also

• List of vice governors of Albay
• Albay Provincial Board
• Albay's 1st congressional district
• Albay's 2nd congressional district
• Albay's 3rd congressional district

References

1. Annual Report of the Lieutenant-General Commanding the Army. National Archives. 1900. p. 17. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
2. Annual Report of the Lieutenant-General Commanding the Army. National Archives. 1900. p. 403. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
3. Executive Orders and Proclamations Issued by the Civil Governor. National Archives. 1903. p. 125. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
4. Executive Orders and Proclamations Issued by the Civil Governor. National Archives. 1904. p. 29. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
5. Executive Orders and Proclamations Issued by the Civil Governor. National Archives. 1907. p. 16. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
6. Executive Orders and Proclamations Issued by the Civil Governor. National Archives. 1909. p. 30. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
7. Official Gazette. National Archives. 1917. p. 1532. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
8. Official Gazette. National Archives. 1917. p. 1788. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
9. Manila City Directory - Volume27. National Archives. 1921. p. 318. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
10. Executive Orders and Proclamations Issued by the Governor-General. National Archives. 1926. p. 103. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
11. Our Delegates to the Constitutional Assembly: English-Spanish. National Archives. 1935. p. 697. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
12. Philippine Yearbook. National Archives. 1951. p. 115. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
13. Manila City Directory, Volume 46. National Archives. 1941. p. 98. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
14. "Messages of the President Book 3: Manuel L. Quezon (Volume 2)". Internet Archive . August 9, 1941. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
15. Official Gazette of the Japanese Military Administration of the Philippines Volume 1. National Archives. 1942. p. 308. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
16. The People of the Philippines v. Benjamin Nadurata, G.R. Nos. L-2311, et al. (Supreme Court of the Philippines May 21, 1951 (1951-05-21))
17. "Appointments and Designations 1946-1948". Internet Archive . May 1946. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
18. Philippine Industry and Trade, Including Travel and Tourism, Volume 2. National Archives. 1956. p. 141. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
19. Report of the Commission on Elections to the President of the Philippines and the Congress. Philippine, Commission on Elections. 1960. p. 286. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
20. "Liberal candidates win in provinces". The Manila Times . The Manila Times Publishing Company, Inc. November 16, 1963.
21. Report of the Commission on Elections to the President of the Philippines and the Congress. National Archives. 1971. p. 386. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
22. Court of Appeals Reports, Annotated Volume 9. National Archives. 1987. p. 353. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
23. Romeo R. Salalima v. Teofisto T. Guingona Jr., G.R. Nos. 117589-92, et al. (Supreme Court of the Philippines May 22, 1996 (1996-05-22))
24. Mar Serrano (February 1, 2021). "Former Senator Ziga, Sr. dies at 75". Philippine News Agency.
25. Mar Serrano (May 15, 2019). "'Old guards' dominate Albay politics". PNA . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
26. Cet Dematera (April 22, 2004). "Comelec control of Ligao sought". PhilStar.
27. "Salceda and the dynasties of Albay". RAPPLER. May 1, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
28. Rhaydz Barcia (December 2, 2022). "Albay Gov Noel Rosal unseated". The Manila Times . Retrieved December 2, 2022.
29. Cet Dematera (December 2, 2022). "New Albay governor, vice governor assume post". The Philippine Star . Retrieved December 2, 2022.
30. Faith Argosino (April 29, 2025). "Ombudsman orders dismissal of Albay governor". Inquirer . Retrieved April 29, 2025.
31. Niño N. Luces (October 18, 2024). "Albay Governor reveals Ombudsman suspension". Manila Bulletin.
32. CM Dacoro (April 28, 2025). "Vice Gov. Bongao, pormal nang nanumpa bilang Gobernador ng Albay". Albay Provincial Information Office.