IN the meantime, civilian authority in the towns and the entire province of Leyte began asserting its presence even as early as 1622, with the encomienderos assuming the lead roles. Gradually, they were replaced by alcaldes mayores, corregidores and tenientes. There is a fragmentary list of officials before 1800, but the dearth of material shows how the Galleon Trade must have shipped out of the provinces all available manpower to Manila, the center of trade between east and west.

In 1735, Leyte appeared to be a politico-military province with jurisdiction over Samar, but the two provinces were separated in 1768, with the expulsion of the Jesuits.

Leyte's capital transferred from one town to another. Carigara, the center of the Jesuit missions, was at one time the center of political authority. With the Jesuits out of the picture, Carigara gradually lost its central role, and the seat of power transferred to Palo, Tanauan, then Dagami. The Moro raids also had something to do with this shifting of power seats. Coastal areas became too dangerous at one time that some towns had to be vacated.

When Don Juan Hipolito Gonzales became alcalde mayor of the province, a move to transfer the capital to Tacloban started. It had become a town in 1770, was more readily accessible by land than Carigara, lay at the mouth of San Juanico close to Samar and stood at the center of a circle that circumscribed the northern half of Leyte and the Southern end of Samar. Somehow, its location was favorable to its being the capital.

With Don Pedro Antonio assuming office as alcalde mayor on November 20, 1823, the shabby public buildings in Tacloban did not appeal to him. He started the move to return the capital to Carigara. After three years, he was replaced by Don Ceferino Hernandez who insisted on having the capital back in Tacloban.

The ideal location of the Tacloban port area, shielded from the winds of the Pacific, but open to sea-going vessels clinched the decision for a re-examination of the case in Manila. It was decided three years later. On February 26, 1830, Tacloban was finally installed as the capital town. There was to be no more change afterwards.

From then on, the list of alcaldes mayores or their equivalents in the Tacloban took on a clearer sequence. From 1823 to 1853, they were called alcaldes mayores. From 1854 to 1864, they were called Tenientes de Gobernadores. Then from 1866 to 1898, the head of the province was called Comandante Politico Militar, reflecting the period of turbulence, culminating in the nationalist revolution of Bonifacio.

In 1899, for the first time, Filipino military governors briefly held power in the province, only to be replaced in April 1901 by appointees of the Americans.

References

1. Agustin Maria de Castro,OSA, "Misioneros Agustinos En El Extremo Oriente", 1565-1780 (Osario Venerable) Ed. Manuel Merinno, OSA, Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificos, Instituto Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, 1954)
2. de Huerta, Fr. Felix, OFM, "Estado Geografico, Topografico, Estadistico, Historico-Religioso De la Santa y Apostolica Provincia de S. Gregorio Magno", Binondo, 1865
3. Cushner, Nicolas P., SJ, "Philippine Jesuits in Exile, The Journals of Francisco Puig", 1768-1770, Rome, Institutum Historicum S.J., 1964)
4. Artigas, Manuel, "Reseņa de la Provincia de Leyte", Imprenta "Cultura Filipina", Manila, 1914
5. Delgado, Fr. Juan J., SJ, "Historia General Sacro-Profana, Politica y Natural de las Islas del Poniente Llamada Filipinas", Manila, 1892