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)