Welcome to North Cotabato: "The Fastest Growing Economy in Central Mindanao"

Governors of Cotabato Province

Since the original Cotabato was formally created as a Province on September 1, 1914, the governors of Cotabato before that date were not called "Provincial Governors". Before 1914 (1899-1913) our District Governors were all American military governors, all belonging to the Philippine Constabulary and all had rank of major, except Don Roman Vilo who ruled this area in 1898. As province, Cotabato had its first governor in 1914.

Governor Dionisio Guttierez was Governor for fifteen years, the longest tenure for an appointed governor, Governor Datu Udtog Matalam was the first elected governor and Carlos B. Cajelo reigned the longest as an elective governor for twelve years as he was the Chief Executive of the province during the martial law years.

On March 1986, appointed OIC Governor Rosario P. Diaz, M.D. assumed governorship of the province. She immediately adopted measures to economize in the various aspects of government operations, from the purchase and use of office supplies, vehicles' spare parts, to travels and per diems, resulting in the realization of big savings that enabled the province to implement all mandated salary increases for its personnel. She vigorously implemented the development programs of the administration aimed at developing the economy and raising the standard of living of the people.

As efforts of the Provincial Government slowly stabilized the peace and order situation, the implementation of various economic reforms in the province led to development strategy that was employment-oriented and rural based. Infrastructure programs concentrated in the rural areas where resulted to the growth of our industry sector supportive for the rural development.

Governor Diaz was the first woman Governor of this Province. She was appointed by President Corazon C. Aquino after the EDSA revolution as OIC Governor and elected at large in the election on January 18, 1988 in which she bested her opponents in all of the 17 municipalities of the province. She was re-elected Governor in the elections on May 11, 1992 and May 8, 1995 with a landslide victory.

Finally, foundation for the continued and accelerated development of the Province was been firmly established. Cotabato then became one of the most economically-advanced provinces in the Philippines.

On July 1, 1998, as the result of the May 1998 election, the provincial government has its new set of leaders. Honorable Governor Emmanuel F. Piñol, the then Mayor of Mlang, Cotabato, won his candidacy as Provincial Governor of Cotabato. The new leadership has the following program of governance, viz: food security; barangay roads; electricity; livelihood; water; peace and order; education; cooperative development; investment promotion (trade and industry) and cultural communities/indigenous people.

The following were our provincial governors since 1914

- FRANK W. CARPENTER 1914-1917

- C.B. CARTER 1918-1919

- JOSE M. UNSON 1920-1921

- DIONESIO GUTTIEREZ 1922-1937

- JOSE M. CUI 1938-1940

- ALFONSO PABLO 1940-1941

- DATU DUMA SINSUAT 1942-1944

- MARCELINO CONCHA (Liberation)

- SALIPADA K. PENDATUN 1944-1945

- DATU UGALINGAN PIANG 1945-1946

- DATU UDTOG MATALAM 1946-1949

- DATU DUMA SINSUAT 1949-1954

- PRIMITIVO BUAGAS 1954-1955

- DATU UDTOG MATALAM (Elected Governor) 1956-1967

- SIMEON A. DATUMANONG

(elected Vice-Governor, succeeded S.K. Pendatun) 1968-1971

- CARLOS B. CAJELO (elected Governor) 1972 - 1984

- NICOLAS A. DEQUIÑA (elected Vice-Governor,

succeeded C.B. CAJELO) 1984-1986

- ROSARIO P. DIAZ, M.D. (Appointed) 1986-1987

- ROSARIO P. DIAZ, M.D. (Elected) 1988-1998

- EMMANUEL F. PIÑOL (Elected) 1998-present