Don Gregorio A. Pelaez, the last governor of Misamis

Misamis used to be a part of Cebu as a district. In 1818 Misamis was composed of four partidos: Partido de Misamis (what is now Misamis Occidental), Partido de Dapitan (now part of Zamboanga del Norte), Partido de Cagayan (now Misamis Oriental) and Partido de Catarman (part of what is now known as the Province of Camiguin).

The District of Misamis used to cover as far as Iligan of the Province of Lanao however it was separated when the Department of Mindanao and Sulu was created by the Americans in 1917. The Philippine Legislature enacted Act 3537 dividing Misamis into two provinces, thus the birth of the Provinces of Misamis Occidental and Oriental. It was approved on November 2, 1929.

The last governor of the Province of Misamis was Don Gregorio A. Pelaez (1926-1929) who also became the first governor of the Province of Misamis Oriental with Cagayan de Oro as its capital. The inhabitants of Misamis mostly originated from Cebu and Bohol, this explains why Cebuano is its dialect.

Don Gregorio was born on March 9, 1869 and died on September 24, 1959. He is the father of Emmanuel Pelaez the first Mindawanon to become Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines. Don Gregorio married twice, first to Andrea Palarca, and second to Felipa Neri (Emmanuel was the son of Felipa).

Emmanuel who was admitted to the Bar on January 9, 1939 and topped it finished his Associate in Arts degree at the Cebu UP Junior College. Aside from being vice president, he also served the country as congressman, secretary of Foreign Affairs, assemblyman, and ambassador to the United States. He married Edith Fabella of Cebuano descent. The other children of Don Gregorio and Felipa were Rosario, Concepcion, Gregorio Jr., Jose Ma., Lourdes, Antonio, and Carmen.

Those who served as governors of Misamis during the Spanish Occupation were Spanish soldiers: Major Jose Caraballo (1874-1876), Lt. Col. Leopoldo Roldan, Lt. Col. Luis Huertes, Lt. Col. Conde de Turealta, Lt. Col. Federico Tianta, Major Juan Zanon, Lt. Col. Jose de Togores, Lt. Col. Juan de Frats, Capt. Ricardo Carmecerno, and Lt. Col. Cristobal de Aguilar. During the revolution from 1898 to 1899 it was Gobernadorcillo Cayetano Pacaña and when the Americans replaced the Spaniards: Provincial President Jose Casa Roa (1899 to 1900), Governor Manuel Roa Corrales, Apolinar Velez, Ricardo Reyes, Isidro Rillas, Juan Valdeconcha Roa, Segundo Gaston (1923 to 1925) and Don Gregorio (1926 to 1929).

The counterpart of Don Gregorio Pelaez in the Province of Misamis Occidental was Don Jose Fortich Ozamiz, who served as the first governor of Misamis Occidental and the City of Ozamiz was named after him. Interestingly the law that crafted dividing Misamis used the terms Oriental Misamis and Occidental Misamis.