Governor of Negros Occidental

The governor of Negros Occidental is the local chief executive and head of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental. Along with the Governor of Negros Oriental and the Mayor of the highly urbanized city of Bacolod, he serves as one of the chief executives of Negros Island in the Philippines. Formation Before independence, the position had been occupied by appointed Spanish military commanders that also serve the role of Governor since the transfer of the capital to Bacolod in 1849. Previously, the local chief executive post was vested on the "Corregidor," or the commander of the military outpost, in the two previous capitals of Ilog, Negros Occidental and Himamaylan. After the Negros Revolution, all provincial authority divested on the Office of the President and Vice President, representing Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. Americans occupied the fledgling republic and requested the provisional government to conduct an island-wide election for the gubernatorial post. Melecio Severino of Silay emerged as the first elected governor. Line of succession As with the President of the Philippines, the role of Governor is passed on to the Vice Governor of Negros Occidental in case of incapacity, resignation or death. But unlike the national line of succession, the Board Member designated as the first in line for garnering the highest number of votes succeeds as Vice Governor, also the same should only the Vice Governor be incapacitated. Should both the Governor and Vice Governor be incapacitated, the same would succeed as Governor and the Board Member with the second highest number of votes would succeed as Vice Governor.