Six out of Mindanao's 27 governors are women

Written by MindaNews

Monday, 27 August 2007 10 39 52 http://www.mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3115&Itemid=55

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 August) – Mindanao has six women governors now, representing 22.2 per cent of Mindanao’s 27 provinces. This is the highest number thus far, of women serving as governors in Mindanao. Of the six, four are first-term governors – Maria Valentina Plaza-Cornelio of Agusan del Sur, Jum J. Akbar of Basilan, Corazon N. Malanyaon of Davao Oriental and Geraldine Ecleo-Villaroman of the new province of Dinagat Island. Akbar is the first wife of three-term Basilan Governor Wahab Akbar, who is now the representative to Congress. Malanyaon was a three-term representative when she ran and won the gubernatorial race against another woman, Ma. Elena Palma Gil, a former three-term representative, too. Villaroman is the daughter of Rep. Glenda Ecleo. She worked as Political Affairs Officer of her mother until last year. Plaza is the daughter of former governor Valentina G. Plaza. The four first term women governors join two more in Mindanao – Daisy Avance-Fuentes of South Cotabato and Aurora E. Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur. Before becoming governor, Fuentes and Cerilles were former representatives. Cerilles is wife of Rep. Antonio Cerilles. Of the 27, only one province remains without a proclaimed governor following the May 14 elections: the new province of Shariff Kabungsuan which was carved out of Maguindanao. Mindanao’s governors for 2007 to 2010: Agusan del Norte Erlpe John M. Amante Agusan del Sur Maria Valentina G. Plaza Basilan Jum J. Akbar Bukidnon Jose Ma. Rubin R. Zubiri Camiguin Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo Compostela Valley Arturo T. Uy Davao del Sur Douglas Ra. Cagas Davao Oriental Corazon N. Malanyaon Dinagat Island Geraldine E. Villaroman Lanao del Norte Mohammad Khalid Q. Dimaporo Lanao del Sur Mamintal Alonto-Adiong Jr. Maguindanao Datu Andal S. Ampatuan Misamis Occidental Loreto Leo S. Ocampos Misamis Oriental Oscar R. Moreno North Cotabato Jesus N. Sacdalan Sarangani Miguel Rene A. Dominguez Shariff Kabungsuan No proclaimed winner South Cotabato Daisy A. Fuentes Sultan Kudarat Suharto T. Mangudadatu Sulu Abdusakur M. Tan Surigao del Norte Robert “Ace” S. Barbers Surigao del Sur Vicente T. Pimentel, Jr. Tawi-tawi Sadikul A. Sahali Zamboanga del Norte Rolando E. Yebes Zamboanga del Sur Aurora E. Cerilles Zamboanga Sibugay George T. Hofer Last year, there were only three women governors out of the then 25 provinces of Mindanao: Fuentes, Cerilles and Davao Oriental’s Ma. Elena Palma Gil. (MindaNews)

Last Updated ( Monday, 27 August 2007 10 44 08 ) From MindaNews