The Subanos who was  the  original inhabitants  of  the   place before Christian settlers came at the middle part of  1940  formerly  knew Gutalac  as  “Mongolot”.   One  of  the  first  settlers  at  that  time  was a Boholano named Salustiano Bernido. One time, he met a Subano bringing a basket  on  each  of  his hand. The Boholano asked the Subano   what  was inside  the basket   in his own  dialect  and the native answered “Gotong” meaning monkey. The Boholano asked  again  the  place,  not  minding  his fingers pointing at the basket, which  the  native  answered  “Gotong lak” meaning its still monkey  in  the  other basket, not able to understand  the Visayan language.  Since  then  the place  was called  “Gotonglak”  by  the settlers and later improved to such name as “Gotolok” and finally Gutalac.

                During that time, Gutalac was a sitio of Labason that was still a barangay of the municipality  of  Sindangan.  Gutalac  became  a  barangay when  the  municipality  of  Labason  was created in  1947.  In 1979,  Batas Pambansa  Bilang  19  approved  on  March 6, 1979  created Gutalac into  a municipality.  On  April 17, 1979  a plebiscite was held which ratified  and unanimously approved the creation of the municipality of Gutalac.

                Mariano  D.  Candelaria  was   appointed  mayor  of  the  new municipality who was also elected during the subsequent election  in 1980. The 1986 EDSA Revolution  put  Eulalio Salcedo as municipal mayor officer in charge on April 17, 1986. It was followed by the  short-lived administra- tion of  Egbert  Calumba and  Godofredo  Dinapo  as  caretakers.  Mariano  D. Candelaria came again after elected in the 1988 mayoral race and serve for three consecutive  term  until June 30, 1998.  Pet Angeli Carloto-Josue became the new municipal mayor of Gutalac after winning in the May 1998 election. She assumed office on July 1, 1998 to  become the  first  woman Chief Executive of Gutalac.

                 Gutalac today is considered  one of the  province’s fast  growing municipality  measured  by  its  improved  economy,  social  reforms  and infrastructure  development. As a 5^th class municipality with an  estimated income of P25 million, it has proven its capability  and  efficiency as Local Government Unit after 20 years of successful operation.