2025 Mountain Province local elections
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May 12, 2025
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| Registered | 121,647[1] | |||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 81.68% | |||||||||||||||
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Gubernatorial election | ||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 80.09% | |||||||||||||||
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Vice gubernatorial election | ||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 75.00% | |||||||||||||||
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Local elections were held in Mountain Province on May 12, 2025, as part of the 2025 Philippine general election. Voters in Mountain Province, a landlocked province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), elected local officials including the provincial governor, vice governor, 10 of 14 members of the Mountain Province Provincial Board, and a congressman to represent the province's at-large district at the House of Representatives.
Incumbent Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan successfully won re-election to a third term, defeating former Sagada mayor Eduardo Latawan Jr. by a narrow margin of 4.08 Percentage points, receiving 52.04% of the vote against Latawan's 47.96%. In the vice gubernatorial race, however, incumbent Vice Governor Francis Tauli was unseated by independent candidate Jet Dominguez, who secured 51.11% of the vote.
This marked the first election after the province was reclassification as a 2nd class province in January 2025, expanding the Mountain Province Provincial Board to 14 members, 10 of whom are elected.[2] The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) emerged as the largest party in the provincial board, winning four of the ten elected seats, followed by the Nacionalista Party with three, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) with one, and independent candidates taking the remaining two.
Background
Heading into the 2025 elections, Lacwasan, who had originally assumed the office on March 31, 2016, following the death of Governor Leonard Mayaen. As the vice governor at the time of Mayaen's death, Lacwasan was sworn in on April 5, 2016, and served the remainder of Mayaen's unexpired term.[3][4] Lacwasan subsequently ran for the governorship in his own right and won in the 2019 elections, then secured re-election in the 2022 elections under PDP–Laban.[5] Ahead of the 2025 cycle, he switched his party affiliation to the PFP. The 2025 elections represented his third and constitutionally final consecutive term as governor.
Incumbent Vice Governor Francis Tauli, who had first acceded to the post in 2016 by succession as the most senior member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan at the time Lacwasan moved up to the governorship.[3] Tauli subsequently won the vice governorship in the 2019 elections, receiving 29,020 votes. He was re-elected in the 2022 elections, continuing to serve alongside Governor Lacwasan. Like Lacwasan, the 2025 race would be Tauli's third and final consecutive term bid.
On December 6, 2024, the Commission on Elections issued a resolution increasing the number of provincial board seats in 21 provinces after the Department of Finance updated their income classifications. Under the Local Government Code, first and second-class provinces are entitled to 10 provincial board members, while third and fourth-class provinces have eight.[6] As Mountain Province was upgraded from 4th class to 2nd class, it gained one additional seat in each of its two provincial districts, bringing the total number of elected regular board members from eight to ten, and expanding the full board from 12 to 14 members inclusive of ex officio and reserved seats.[7][8]
Electoral system
The Governor and Vice Governor of Mountain Province are each elected separately through a province-wide plurality voting system, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of whether they secure a majority. Both positions carry a three-year term, and incumbents are barred from seeking a fourth consecutive term. The Governor serves as the chief executive of the province, while the Vice Governor serves as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, voting only to break ties.
Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan are elected through plurality-at-large voting. The province is divided into two districts, each electing five members. A voter votes for up to five names per district, with the top five candidates in each district being elected.
The lone congressional district of Mountain Province elects a single representative to the House of Representatives of the Philippines through a province-wide plurality vote, also subject to a three-consecutive-term limit.
Provincial offices
Governor
- 50-60%60-70%
- 50-60%60-70%
- 50-60%60-70%70-80%80-90%
- 50-60%60-70%70-80%80-90%
- PFP Gain
- Independent Gain
Incumbent Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. sought a third and final consecutive term, facing independent candidate Eduardo Latawan Jr. in a two-way race. Lacwasan successfully defended his position, garnering 50,666 votes to Latawan's 46,685 votes.
Candidates
- Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. (PFP), incumbent governor since 2016[9][a]
- Eduardo Latawan Jr. (Independent), former mayor of Sagada[9]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFP | Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. | 50,666 | 52.04% | −37.26 | |
| Independent | Eduardo Latawan Jr. | 46,685 | 47.96% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 97,351 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
By municipality
| Municipality | Bonficacio Lacwasan Jr PFP |
Eduardo Latawan Jr. Indepenent |
Margin | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Barlig | 1,665 | 47.61% | 1,832 | 52.39% | -167 | -4.78% | 3,497 |
| Bauko | 11,822 | 58.70% | 8,317 | 41.30% | 3,505 | 17.40% | 20,139 |
| Besao | 2,486 | 54.36% | 2,087 | 45.64% | 399 | 8.73% | 4,573 |
| Bontoc | 6,580 | 46.20% | 7,663 | 53.80% | -1,083 | -7.60% | 14,243 |
| Natonin | 3,124 | 46.00% | 3,667 | 54.00% | -543 | -8.00% | 6,791 |
| Paracelis | 9,091 | 50.15% | 9,035 | 49.85% | 56 | 0.31% | 18,126 |
| Sabangan | 4,351 | 64.44% | 2,401 | 35.56% | 1,950 | 28.88% | 6,752 |
| Sadanga | 2,398 | 44.72% | 2,964 | 55.28% | -566 | -10.56% | 5,362 |
| Sagada | 2,944 | 38.83% | 4,637 | 61.17% | -1,693 | -22.33% | 7,581 |
| Tadian | 6,205 | 60.32% | 4,082 | 39.68% | 2,123 | 20.64% | 10,287 |
| Totals | 50,666 | 52.04% | 46,685 | 47.96% | 3,981 | 4.09% | 97,351 |
Vice governor
- 40-50%50-60%60-70%
- 50-60%60-70%
- 30-40%40-50%50-60%60-70%70-80%
- 40-50%50-60%60-70%70-80%80-90%
- 40%-50%
- Independent Gain
- PFP Gain
Incumbent Vice Governor Francis Tauli ran for a third consecutive term but was defeated by Jose "Jet" Dominguez. Dominguez placed first in the five-way race with 46,633 votes, while Tauli finished second. The remaining three independent candidates accounted for the rest of the vote.
Candidates
- Jet Dominguez (Independent), candidate for provincial board member in 2019[9]
- Francis Tauli (PFP), incumbent vice governor since 2019[9]
- Miyo Carlos (Independent)[9]
- Albert Paday-Os (Independent), candidate for governor in 2022[9]
- Cleto Chacapna Jr. (Independent), candidate for provincial board member in 2022[9]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Jet Dominguez | 46,633 | 51.11% | N/A | |
| PFP | Francis Tauli | 37,760 | 41.38% | −9.90 | |
| Independent | Miyo Carlos | 4,345 | 4.76% | N/A | |
| Independent | Albert Paday-Os | 1,465 | 1.61% | N/A | |
| Independent | Cleto Chacapna Jr. | 1,038 | 1.14% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 91,241 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
By municipality
| Municipality | Jet Dominguez Independent |
Francis Tauli PFP |
Other candidates | Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Barlig | 1,744 | 54.13% | 993 | 30.82% | 485 | 15.05% | 751 | 23.31% | 3,222 |
| Bauko | 10,207 | 52.97% | 8,427 | 43.73% | 635 | 3.30% | 1,780 | 9.24% | 19,269 |
| Besao | 1,195 | 28.03% | 2,970 | 69.67% | 98 | 2.30% | -1,775 | -41.64% | 4,263 |
| Bontoc | 8,223 | 61.08% | 4,871 | 36.18% | 368 | 2.73% | 3,352 | 24.90% | 13,462 |
| Natonin | 3,731 | 60.56% | 1,696 | 27.53% | 734 | 11.91% | 2,035 | 33.03% | 6,161 |
| Paracelis | 8,097 | 49.00% | 4,666 | 28.24% | 3,762 | 22.77% | 3,431 | 20.76% | 16,525 |
| Sabangan | 3,300 | 52.68% | 2,775 | 44.30% | 189 | 3.02% | 525 | 8.38% | 6,264 |
| Sadanga | 3,340 | 65.50% | 1,651 | 32.38% | 108 | 2.12% | 1,689 | 33.12% | 5,099 |
| Sagada | 2,526 | 34.80% | 4,565 | 62.89% | 168 | 2.31% | -2,039 | -28.09% | 7,259 |
| Tadian | 4,270 | 43.94% | 5,146 | 52.96% | 301 | 3.10% | -876 | -9.02% | 9,717 |
| Totals | 46,633 | 51.11% | 37,760 | 41.38% | 6,848 | 7.51% | 8,873 | 9.72% | 91,241 |
Provincial board
The provincial board elections were the first held under the province's expanded composition. All six of Governor Lacwasan's allied board candidates were re-elected, while the Latawan ticket earned three seats, and the final elective spot went to an independent candidate from the Dominguez ticket. Overall, PFP emerged as the largest party among elected board members with four seats, followed by the Nacionalista Party with three, LDP with one, and two independents.
Results
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| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | Seat change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nacionalista | 133,824 | 35.85% | 3 |  1 | |||||
| Independents | 110,659 | 29.64% | 2 | 1 | |||||
| PFP | 90,642 | 24.28% | 4 | New | |||||
| LDP | 20,282 | 5.43% | 1 |  | |||||
| KANP | 17,885 | 4.79% | 0 | New | |||||
| Totals | 373,292 | 100.00% | 10 | — | |||||
Results summary by district
† - Incumbent not seeking re-election
‡ - Incumbent term-limited
| Districts | Incumbents | Party | Elected board members | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ezra Gomez | LDP | Roy Gammonac | Nacionalista | ||
| Joshua Fronda | PDP–Laban | Federico Onsat | PFP | |||
| Federico Onsat | PDP–Laban | Ezra Gomez | LDP | |||
| Cariño Tamang† | Nacionalista | Joshua Fronda | PFP | |||
| New seat | Janice Barillo | Nacionalista | ||||
| 2nd | Johnson Bantog II | Independent | Jowee Dominguez | Independent | ||
| Ricardo Masidong Jr. | Nacionalista | Sally Banaken-Ullalim | Independent | |||
| Henry Bastian Jr. | PDP–Laban | Ricardo Masidong Jr. | PFP | |||
| Donato Danglose‡ | PDP–Laban | Johnson Bantog II | PFP | |||
| New seat | Henry Bastian Jr. | Nacionalista | ||||
1st district
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nacionalista | Roy Gammonac | 27,734 | 56.44% | |
| PFP | Federico Onsat | 22,301 | 45.39% | |
| LDP | Ezra Gomez | 20,282 | 41.28% | |
| PFP | Joshua Fronda | 20,220 | 41.15% | |
| Nacionalista | Janice Barillo | 19,451 | 39.59% | |
| KANP | Mateo Chiyawan | 17,885 | 36.40% | |
| Independent | Tancio Miranda | 15,053 | 30.64% | |
| Nacionalista | Jose Biangalen | 14,147 | 28.79% | |
| Independent | Maximillian Claver | 11,250 | 22.90% | |
| Nacionalista | John Pelew | 10,841 | 22.06% | |
| Independent | Vidastos Focao | 5,066 | 10.31% | |
| Total votes | 184,230 | 100.00% | ||
2nd district
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Jowee Dominguez | 28,507 | 56.76% | |
| Independent | Sally Banaken-Ullalim | 25,035 | 49.84% | |
| PFP | Ricardo Masidong Jr. | 24,261 | 48.30% | |
| PFP | Johnson Bantog II | 23,860 | 47.50% | |
| Nacionalista | Henry Bastian Jr. | 21,947 | 43.69% | |
| Nacionalista | Bartolo Badecao | 21,521 | 42.85% | |
| Nacionalista | Anselmo Andayan | 18,183 | 36.20% | |
| Independent | Andres Sapdoy | 10,895 | 21.69% | |
| Independent | Jimmy Cajigan | 6,134 | 12.21% | |
| Independent | Akay Manodon | 5,780 | 11.51% | |
| Independent | Perfecto Igid | 2,939 | 5.85% | |
| Total votes | 189,062 | 100.00% | ||
House of Representatives
- Nacionalista Hold
- 90-100%
- 90-100%
Incumbent Representative Maximo Dalog Jr. ran for re-election in the lone congressional district of Mountain Province. Running unopposed, Dalog won a third consecutive term in Congress.
Candidates
- Maximo Dalog Jr. (Nacionalista), incumbent representative since 2019[9]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nacionalista | Maximo Dalog Jr. | 85,006 | 100.00% | +43.91 | |
| Total votes | 85,006 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
Notes
References
- ↑ "NUMBER AND TURN-OUT OF REGISTERED VOTERS AND VOTERS WHO ACTUALLY VOTED" (PDF). COMELEC. August 2025. pp. 3, 11. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ Locus, Sundy (December 10, 2024). "Comelec adds 42 provincial board seats in 21 areas for 2025 polls". GMA Integrated News. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- 1 2 Afidchao, Novy; Baybay, Angel; Macalling, Alfred. "Governor Lacwasan vows to continue Mayaen's programs". Province of Mountain Province Official Website. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Mountain Province vice guv takes seat". SunStar. April 4, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
- ↑ "OUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS". PDP-Laban. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Republic Act No. 7160" (PDF). Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau. December 2022. p. 22. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ "BLGF MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 020.2024" (PDF). Bureau of Local Government Finance. Department of Finance. December 9, 2024. p. 6. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ "RESOLUTION NO. 11085" (PDF). Lawphil.net. COMELEC. December 6, 2024. p. 2. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Certified List of Candidates ( PROVINCIAL )" (PDF). COMELEC. November 29, 2024. p. 1. Retrieved May 21, 2026.