The Naval Town Hall, the official seat of the municipal government until December 1999.

This is a list of mostly elective municipal officials of Naval from the Spanish regime to the present.


Spanish Regime

In "A Short History of Naval," Eduardo A. Chico (in 1957) provided a list of gobernadorcillos of Naval during the Spanish regime. The list seems incomplete and without corresponding dates of incumbency. Here are the names:

The late Jose Gahum, a political figure in Naval and also an avid researcher of Naval history, once claimed that he failed to find officials records about Naval during the early American period at the Leyte Provincial Capitol in Tacloban. Fortunately, in 1957, Eduardo A. Chico was able to collect interview information about municipal presidents (mayors) during this period. Here are the names and their respective terms of office:

Chico cited the notable accomplishments of three of these mayors. Melecio Caneja was known to have worked for the pacification of the revolutionists. Luis Vicera worked for the establishment (reopening perhaps) of the public school. Policarpo Redaza was credited for the construction of the seven-room Gabaldon Building, the oldest structure at the Naval Central Elementary School.

In Leyte Towns: Histories/Legends, Francisco S. Tantuico, Jr. credited Melecio Caneja for rehabilitating the town, which was partly ravaged during the hostilities (Pulahan War), and for offering residential lots in the poblacion (town proper) to those people who would come down from the mountains and live in the town. Aside from reopening the school, Luis Vicera was credited for establishing the boundaries between Almeria and Naval and between Naval and Biliran. Ysidoro Vicentillo was credited for acquiring the present site of the town hall.

Tantuico mentioned the name of Tomas Bernadas, "who became the town head by appointment during the period of pacification." Bernadas probably served briefly as an American appointee during the height of the Pulahan War in Naval in 1902.

The achievement of Justo Caneja was not mentioned by the two sources. Was he perhaps the "mastermind" of the attack of raiders from Naval on Biliran town in 1909?

Tantuico also mentioned the achievements of two post-1916 mayors. Francisco Enage was credited for the construction of the town’s original market building, and Restituto Copuaco was the incumbent mayor when the Naval wharf was built.

The following list of Naval municipal officials was researched by the late Jose Gahum. This list was first published in the 1987 Naval Fiesta Souvenir Program.

The following lists were taken from various fiesta souvenir programs or from municipal records (for the 1988-1992 officials):