HEADS OF THE TOWN THROUGH THE YEARS

 HEADS OF THE TOWN THROUGH THE YEARS

According to written records, the first executive of the town during the Spanish regime was Vicente Cayabyab, and the last gobernadorcillo was Julio Gloria, who was elected by the highest taxpayers and the cabezas de barangay of the town on April 5, 1891. Gloria served as gobernadorcillo for three years (1891–1893).

From 1893 (passage of the Maura Law) to the end of Spanish rule, the town head became known as capitan municipal. The capitan municipal was elected by a board of electors of the town for a term of four years. Mauricio De Guzman became the first capitan of the municipality, and his successors were Honorato Carungay, Lorenzo Rodriguez, a Spaniard, and Julian Mananzan, the last of the capitanes.

During the revolutionary period, Saturnino Junio was appointed as Chief Executive. When the Americans inaugurated the military government, Evaristo Dimalanta was appointed President. At the inauguration of the civil government, Lauriano Roldan was appointed as the first civil president of the town.

The succeeding presidents were Albino Garcia, Gavino De Guzman, Mateo Mananzan, Marciano Fajardo, Agustin Carungay, Demetrio Mananzan, Eusebio Camacho, Eustaquio Bautista, and Emetrio Camacho. Enrique Roldan, who held office for three terms, followed him. In 1937, Gerundio Umengan took over the office. Up to the outbreak of World War II in December 1941, Faustino Van Bush was the municipal mayor.

During the Japanese occupation, sometime in 1943, Leopoldo Aquino, Sr. was named municipal mayor and served up to the middle of 1944, until Mariano Fernandez took over as acting mayor up to Liberation. Then the PCAU of the U.S. Army appointed Ambrocio Gloria as the next mayor of the town for several months, until Bernardo Lagoy took over as municipal mayor.

When President Manuel Roxas assumed office, he appointed Eligio Sagun as municipal mayor. He held office up to the 1947 election when Leopoldo Aquino won. Aquino, however, resigned from office to run for provincial board member. In his place, Numeriano de Castro was appointed acting municipal mayor by President Elpidio Quirino.

In the 1951 election, Eligio Sagun won and held the position of mayor for one term. He was followed by Salvador Quinto in 1955. In the 1959 local elections, Miguel C. Matabang won and served from 1960 to 1963. He ran for re-election in November 1963 but lost to Atty. Jaime P. Junio.