Legislative districts of Cebu explained

The legislative districts of Cebu are the representations of the province of Cebu in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. At present, the province is currently represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines by its seven congressional districts, with their respective representatives being elected every three years. Locally, the districts are also allotted two seats in the Cebu Provincial Board, with board members also being elected every three years.

History

Cebu was initially composed of one representative district, wherein it elected four representatives, at large, to the Malolos Congress in 1898. It was later divided into seven representative districts in 1907.[1] When seats for the upper house of the Philippine Legislature were elected from territory-based districts between 1916 and 1935, the province formed part of the tenth senatorial district which elected two out of the 24-member senate.

In the disruption caused by the Second World War, two delegates represented the province in the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic: one was the provincial governor (an ex officio member), while the other was elected through a provincial assembly of KALIBAPI members during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Cebu City, being a chartered city, was represented separately in this short-lived legislative body. Upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945, the province retained its seven pre-war representative districts; this remained so until 1972.

The province was represented in the Interim Batasang Pambansa as part of Region VII from 1978 to 1984. Beginning in 1984 the province elected six representatives, at large, to the Regular Batasang Pambansa; Cebu City, which became a highly urbanized city in 1979 by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 51,[2] began to be represented separately from Cebu at this time.

Cebu, including the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, was reapportioned into six congressional districts under the new Constitution[3] which was proclaimed on February 11, 1987. The six districts elected members to the restored House of Representatives starting that same year.

The passage of Republic Act No. 9726 on October 22, 2009, separated the highly urbanized city of Lapu-Lapu from the sixth district to form its own congressional district starting in the 2010 elections.[4]

Republic Act No. 10684, approved on September 18, 2015, split the second district and recreated the seventh district which elected its own representative in the 2016 elections.[5]

Republic Act No. 11257, approved on April 15, 2019, separated the highly urbanized city of Mandaue from the sixth district to form its own congressional district starting in the 2022 elections.

Current districts

The province was last redistricted in 2019, where Mandaue was separated from the sixth district to form its own congressional district. The province's current congressional delegation composes of three members of the National Unity Party, two members of Lakas, one member of the Nacionalista Party and one member of the Nationalist People's Coalition. All seven representatives are part of the majority bloc in the 19th Congress.

District! colspan="4"
Current RepresentativeConstituent LGUsPopulation (2020)AreaMap
ImageNameParty
1stRhea Mae Gullas
(since 2022)
Lakas809,335527.06 km²
2ndEdsel Galeos
(since 2022)
Lakas257,658740.67 km²
3rdPablo John Garcia
(since 2019)
NUP616,3261,258.08 km²
4thJanice Salimbangon
(since 2019)
NUP540,814740.41 km²
5thVincent Franco Frasco
(since 2019)
NUP643,946877.67 km²
6thDaphne Lagon
(since 2022)
Lakas218,60789.05 km²
7thPeter John Calderon
(since 2016)
NPC238,699641.62 km²

Historical districts

At-Large (defunct)

See main article: Cebu City's at-large congressional district.

1898–1899

PeriodRepresentatives
Malolos Congress
1898–1899
Ariston Bautista
Trinidad Pardo de Tavera
Felix David
Francisco Macabulos

1943–1944

PeriodRepresentative
National Assembly
1943–1944
Jose S. Leyson[6]
Jose Delgado (ex officio)

1984–1986

PeriodRepresentative
Regular Batasang Pambansa
1984–1986
Emerito S. Calderon
Nenita C. Daluz
Ramon D. Durano III
Regalado Estrella Maambong
Luisito R. Patalinjug
Adelino B. Sitoy

See also

Notes and References

  1. Act. 1582. January 9, 1907. An Act to Provide for the Holding of Elections in the Philippine Islands, for the Organization of the Philippine Assembly, and for Other Purposes. September 5, 2022.
  2. BP. 51. An Act providing for the elective or appointive positions in various local governments and for other purposes.. December 22, 1979. August 9, 2016. Batasang Pambansa. Chan-Robles Law Library.
  3. Web site: 1987 Constitution of the Philippines - Apportionment Ordinance. June 13, 2016.
  4. RA. 9726. An Act separating the City of Lapu-Lapu from the Sixth Legislative District of the Province of Cebu to constitute the Lone Legislative District of the City of Lapu-Lapu . October 22, 2009. August 9, 2016. Congress of the Philippines.
  5. RA. 10684. An Act creating an additional legislative district in the Province of Cebu to be known as the Seventh Legislative District. September 18, 2015. August 9, 2016. Congress of the Philippines.
  6. Book: Official program of the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines and the induction into office of His Excellency Jose P. Laurel. Bureau of Printing. 1943.