The mayor of Valenzuela (Filipino: Punong Lungsod ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela), a highly urbanized city in northern Metro Manila, Philippines, is the official head and chief executive of Valenzuela. He leads on enforcing city ordinances and improving public services. The mayor has a term of office of three years, but has a maximum electoral tenure of three consecutive terms. Inaugural holder of the office was Pío Valenzuela (1869–1956), served from 1899 to 1901, for whom the city was named.
During the Spanish colonial period, the town that composed of what is now Valenzuela, called before as Polo, was ruled by a gobernadorcillo appointed through an exclusive nomination provided by the Spanish law. Later in the American period, first mayor Pío Valenzuela was appointed as its first municipal president until his resignation in 1901. Since then, municipal presidents are elected by a popular vote.
The current 1987 Constitution of the Philippines and the City Charter of 1998 defined the position, powers and responsibilities of the mayor.[1]
Member of the Katipunan triumvirate. First mayor of Polo. Appointed by the Americans as the municipal president (presidente municipal) of the town in 1899. Served as the 10th governor of Bulacan from 1921 to 1925.[2]
2
Nemencio D. Santiago
1901
1903
3
Rufino D. Valenzuela
1903
1907
First of two terms as mayor.
4
Inoc D. Guansing
1908
1909
5
Melencio Hernandez
1910
1912
6
José Serapio
1912
1917
Served as the 3rd governor of Bulacan from 1900 to 1901.[3]
–
Fortunato Rivera
1917
Acting mayor
7
Rufino D. Valenzuela
1917
1919
Second of two terms as mayor.
8
Tomás de Castro
1920
1922
9
Arcadío Deato
1922
1928
10
Barcenico Espiritu
1928
1931
11
Andres Fernando
1931
1937
First two of three terms as mayor.
12
Leopoldo Santiago
1937
1940
13
Andres Fernando
1940
1942
Third of three terms as mayor.
14
Feliciano Ponciano
1942
1944
Replaced Fernando in 1942. Executed by the Japanese during the reign of terror of 1944.[4]
15
Pedro de Guía
1944
1945
16
Faustino Cruz y Dela Cruz
1945
1946
First Military Mayor. The prime mover in changing the name Municipality of Polo to Municipality of Valenzuela in honor of Dr. Pio Valenzuela in 1947 and later approved by President Carlos P. Garcia in 1960.
^Arenas, Mar DJ (1997). Valenzuela: Ang Bayani at ang Bayan (in Tagalog). Valenzuela: Museo Valenzuela Foundation, Inc. & Valenzuela Historical and Cultural Society. p. 52.
