The governor-general of the Philippines (Tagalog: Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas; Spanish: Gobernador General de Filipinas; Japanese: フィリピン総督, romanized: Firipin sōtoku) was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, first by the Spanish in Mexico City and later Madrid as "Captain General"– Spanish: Capitán General de Filipinas, Filipino: Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas) from 1565–1898 and the United States (1898–1946), and briefly by Great Britain (1762–1764) and Japan (1942–1945).

On November 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established as a transitional government to prepare the country for independence from American control.

Great Britain shortly occupied Manila and the naval port of Cavite as part of the Seven Years' War, while the Spanish Governor-General set up a provisional government in Bacolor, Pampanga to continue administering the rest of the archipelago.

The Philippines, along with the rest of the Spanish Empire, became part of the First French Empire in 1808 after Napoleon overthrew Ferdinand VII and installed Joseph Bonaparte as king until his abdication in 1813, as part of a disastrous consequence of Napoleon's 1812 Russian campaign, the Peninsular Wars, particularly the Battle of Vitoria, and of forming the Sixth Coalition.

[2] During the transition period, executive authority in all civil affairs in the Philippine government was exercised by the military governor.

[9] After his retirement as Civil Governor, Governor Taft was appointed Secretary of War and he secured for his successor the adoption by Congress[10] of the title Governor-General of the Philippine Islands thereby "reviving the high designation used during the last period of Spanish rule and placing the office on a parity of dignity with that of other colonial empires of first importance".

The next year, the Japanese sent a military governor to control the country during the wartime period, followed by the formal establishment of the puppet Second Philippine Republic under Jose P.

The Vice-Governor was appointed by the President of the United States to act as the Governor-General (known at that time as the Civil Governor) in case of illness or temporary absence.