List of sovereign state leaders in the Philippines
The types of sovereign state leaders in the Philippines have varied throughout the country's history, from heads of ancient chiefdoms, kingdoms and sultanates in the pre-colonial period, to the leaders of Spanish, American, and Japanese colonial governments as well as an unrecognized independent government, and the directly elected president of the modern sovereign state of the Philippines.
Archaic (pre-hispanic) Era
Before the nation of the Philippines was formed, the area of what was now the Philippines during the pre-colonial times was sets of divided nations ruled by Kings, Chieftains, Datus, Lakans, Rajahs and Sultans in Southeast Asia. It was when the Spaniards arrived that they named the collections of areas they conquered and unite in Southeast Asia as "Las Islas Filipinas" or The Islands of the Philippines.Legendary rulers
Legendary rulers can be found in the oral tradition in Philippine Mythology, which having an uncertain historical/archeological evidence of their reign.| Image | Name | Title held | From | Until |
| Gat Pangil | Gat Pangil was a chieftain in the area now known as Laguna Province, He is mentioned in the origin legends of Bay, Laguna,Pangil, Laguna, Pakil, Laguna and Mauban, Quezon, all of which are thought to have once been under his domain. | Uncertain possibly Iron Age. |
Archaic rulers
Pangasinan (historical polity)| Ruler | From | Until |
| Kamayin | 1406 | 1408? |
| Taymey | 1408 | 1409? |
Historical rulers of Tondo
| Image | Name | Title held | From | Until |
| Unnamed | Senapati | 900? | ? | |
| Lakandula | Bunao Lakandula, ruler of Tondo | After 1521 | 1571 | |
| Agustin de Legazpi | The last ruler of Tondo. He was appointed to the position after the death of Lakandula. The monarchy was dissolved by the Spanish authorities after the discovery of the Tondo conspiracy. | 1575 | 1589 |
Recorded rulers of [Namayan]
| Legendary rulers of Namayan |
| Aside from the records of Huerta, a number of names of rulers are associated with Namayan by folk/oral traditions, as recounted in documents such as the will of Fernando Malang and documented by academics such as Grace Odal-Devora and writers such as Nick Joaquin. |
| Title | Name | Notes | Period of Rule | Primary Sources |
| Gat | Lontok | In Batangueño Folk Tradition as cited by Odal-Devora, husband of Kalangitan, serving as "rulers of Pasig" together. | Legendary antiquity | Batangueño folk tradition |
| Dayang or Sultana | Kalangitan | Legendary "Lady of the Pasig" in Batangueño Folk Tradition and "Ruler of Sapa" in Kapampangan Folk Tradition. Either the mother in law or grandmother of the ruler known as "Prinsipe Balagtas" | Legendary antiquity | Batangueño and Kapampangan folk traditions |
| "Princess" or "Lady"'' | Sasaban | In oral Tradition recounted by Nick Joaquin and Leonardo Vivencio, a "lady of Namayan" who went to the Madjapahit court to marry Emperor Soledan, eventually giving birth to Balagtas, who then returned to Namayan/Pasig in 1300. | prior to 1300 | Batangueño folk tradition |
| Prince' | Bagtas or Balagtas | In Batangueño Folk Tradition as cited by Odal-Devora, the King of Balayan and Taal who married Panginoan, daughter of Kalangitan and Lontok who were rulers of Pasig. In Kapampangan Folk Tradition' as cited by Odal-Devora, the "grandson of Kalangitan" and a "Prince of Madjapahit" who married the "Princess Panginoan of Pampanga" Either the son in law or grandson | ||
| "Princess" or "Lady"'' |
Philippines Era
The collection of islands conquered by the Spaniards was named Las islas Filipinas; a name given by Ruy López de Villalobos. It's the exact geographical location on which the modern day Republic of the Philippines based its territory.Rulers during the Spanish colonization
During the Spanish colonization, Remaining monarchs reign until their kingdoms was absorbed to the new colonial nation of the Philippines through Spanish conquest. Many of these territories are absorbed much later.- Rajah Colambu – King of Limasawa in 1521, brother of Rajah Siagu of Butuan. He befriended Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and guided him to Cebu on April 7, 1521.
- Rajah Humabon – Rajah of Cebu who became an ally of Ferdinand Magellan and the Spaniards. Rival of Datu Lapu-Lapu. In 1521, he and his wife were baptized as Christians and given Christian names Carlos and Juana after the Spanish royalty, King Carlos and Queen Juana.
- Sultan Kudarat – Sultan of Maguindanao
- Lakandula – Lakan of Tondo
- Datu Lapu-Lapu – King of Mactan Island. He defeated the Spaniards on April 27, 1521.
- Datu Iberein – A datu of Samar at around 1543.
- Datu Sikatuna – King of Bohol in 1565. He made a blood compact with Spanish explorer, Miguel López de Legazpi.
- Datu Pagbuaya – King of Bohol. He governed with his brother Datu Dailisan, a settlement along the shorelines between Mansasa, Tagbilaran and Dauis, which was abandoned years before the Spanish colonization due to Portuguese and Ternatean attacks. He founded Dapitan in the northern shore of Mindanao.
- Datu Dailisan – King of Mansasa, Tagbilaran and Dauis and governed their kingdom along with his brother Datu Pagbuaya. His death during one of the Portuguese raids caused the abandonment of the settlement.
- Datu Manooc – Christian name – Pedro Manuel Manooc, son of Datu Pagbuaya who converted to Christianity, defeated the Higaonon tribe in Iligan, Mindanao. He established one of the first Christian settlements in the country.
- Rajah Siagu – Rajah of Butuan
- Apo Noan – Chieftain of Mandani in 1521
- Rajah Sulayman – The heir apparent of the Kingdom of Luzon, was defeated by Martín de Goiti, a Spanish soldier commissioned by López de Legazpi to Manila.
- Rajah Tupas – Rajah of Cebu, conquered by Miguel López de Legazpi
- Datu Zula – A datu of Mactan, rival of Lapu-lapu
- Datu Kalun – Ruler of the Island of the Basilan and the Yakans in Mindanao, converted his line to Christianity
- Datu Sanday – Ruler of Marawi City
- unnamed Datu – King of Taytay Palawan. Mentioned by Pigafetta, chronicler of Magellan. The king, together with his wife were kidnapped by the remnant troops from Magellan's fleet after fleeing Cebu to secure provisions for their crossing to the Moluccas.
- Datu Cabaylo – The last king of the Kingdom of Taytay
During Revolts against Spain (1660–1661)
| Name | Image | From | Until | Notes |
| Francisco Maniago | 1660 | 1661 | a Filipino revolutionary leader who conspired to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Kapampangan nation in Pampanga, with him as "King of Pampanga." |
| Name | Image | From | Until | Notes |
| Pedro Almazán | 1661 | 1661 | a Filipino revolutionary leader who conspired to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano nation in Ilocos, with him as "King of Ilocos." |
British Occupation of Manila (1762–1764)
Great Britain occupied Manila and the naval port of Cavite as part of the Seven Years' War.| Monarch | Image | From | Until | House |
| George III | November 2, 1762 | May 31, 1764 | Hanover |
Independent Ilocos (1762–1763)
| Name | Image | From | Until | Notes |
| Diego Silang | 1762 | 1763 | a Filipino revolutionary leader who conspired with British forces to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano nation. |
Under New Spain (1764–1821)
| Monarch | Image | From | Until | House |
| Charles III | August 10, 1759 | December 14, 1788 | Bourbon | |
| Charles IV | December 14, 1788 | March 19, 1808 | Bourbon | |
| Ferdinand VII | March 19, 1808 | May 6, 1808 | Bourbon | |
| Joseph I | December 11, 1813 | September 29, 1833 | Bonaparte |
Emperor of the Philippine Islands
| No. | Name | Portrait | Tenure start | Tenure end | Notes |
| - | Andrés Novales | June 1, 1823 | June 2, 1823 | His discontentment with the treatment of creole soldiers led him to start a revolt in 1823 that inspired even the ranks of José Rizal. He successfully captured Intramuros and was proclaimed Emperor of the Philippines by his followers. However, he was defeated within the day by Spanish reinforcements from Pampanga. |
Spanish East Indies (1821–1898)
After the 1821 Mexican War of Independence, Mexico became independent and was no longer part of the Spanish Empire. The Viceroyalty of New Spain ceased to exist. The Philippines, as a result, was directly governed from Madrid, under the Crown.| Monarch | Image | From | Until | House |
| Joseph I | December 11, 1813 | September 29, 1833 | Bonaparte | |
| Ferdinand VII | December 11, 1813 | September 29, 1833 | Bourbon | |
| Isabella II | September 29, 1833 | September 30, 1868 | Bourbon | |
| Amadeo I | December 4, 1870 | February 11, 1873 | Savoy | |
| President | Image | From | Until | Party |
| Estanislao Figueras | February 12, 1873 | June 11, 1873 | Federal Democratic Republican Party | |
| Francesc Pi i Margall | June 11, 1873 | July 18, 1873 | Federal Democratic Republican Party | |
| Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso | July 18, 1873 | September 7, 1873 | Federal Democratic Republican Party | |
| Emilio Castelar y Ripoll | September 7, 1873 | January 3, 1874 | Federal Democratic Republican Party | |
| Francisco Serrano, 1st Duke of la Torre | January 3, 1874 | December 30, 1874 | Conservative | |
| Monarch | Image | From | Until | House |
| Alfonso XII | December 30, 1874 | November 25, 1885 | Bourbon | |
| Alfonso XIII | May 17, 1886 | December 10, 1898 | Bourbon |