However, the totals may still increase, as there are 14 pending bills, to date, in the Lower House in the 16th Congress (2013-2016) that propose the creation of more legislative districts or the redistricting of existing ones.
If all would be approved in time for the 2019 polls, there would be 15 more new districts.
x x x
Eleven more House bills are pending in the Lower House. Among these, 3 seek to reapportion lone districts by splitting them into two.
A similar proposal, House Bill 5002 – filed by Representative Arnel Cerafica (2nd term, LP) – is mainly a bid for the cityhood of the only municipality in the National Capital Region (NCR).
But an additional provision entails the creation of the lone district of Pateros, separating it from the lone district of Taguig City-Pateros. This is despite Pateros having a population of only 64,147 as of 2010, below the requirement of a minimum population of 250,000 for cities to be entitled to separate a district.
Cerafica cites the case of Tobias vs. Abalos, concerning the former Mandaluyong-San Juan district, as an example.
In 1994, a new legislative district was created for Mandaluyong due to its conversion into a highly-urbanized city (HUC). The remainder of the old district, then the town of San Juan, was given its own House seat as a result, despite not being a city and not meeting the 250,000 population requirement.
Cerafica argued that the same should be applied to the Taguig-Pateros district, contrary to the current set-up. Taguig was converted into an HUC in 1998, but only took effect on December 8, 2004.
Pateros, instead of being separated from the district, was then grouped with the barangays in Taguig's 1st council district to form the new Taguig City-Pateros district (or Taguig City, 1st District) in 2007. The 2nd council district was given its own congressional district.
"Pateros should likewise be entitled to its own representation in Congress by making its own legislative district," he said in the bill's explanatory note.
If all would be approved in time for the 2019 polls, there would be 15 more new districts.
x x x
Eleven more House bills are pending in the Lower House. Among these, 3 seek to reapportion lone districts by splitting them into two.
A similar proposal, House Bill 5002 – filed by Representative Arnel Cerafica (2nd term, LP) – is mainly a bid for the cityhood of the only municipality in the National Capital Region (NCR).
But an additional provision entails the creation of the lone district of Pateros, separating it from the lone district of Taguig City-Pateros. This is despite Pateros having a population of only 64,147 as of 2010, below the requirement of a minimum population of 250,000 for cities to be entitled to separate a district.
Cerafica cites the case of Tobias vs. Abalos, concerning the former Mandaluyong-San Juan district, as an example.
In 1994, a new legislative district was created for Mandaluyong due to its conversion into a highly-urbanized city (HUC). The remainder of the old district, then the town of San Juan, was given its own House seat as a result, despite not being a city and not meeting the 250,000 population requirement.
Cerafica argued that the same should be applied to the Taguig-Pateros district, contrary to the current set-up. Taguig was converted into an HUC in 1998, but only took effect on December 8, 2004.
Pateros, instead of being separated from the district, was then grouped with the barangays in Taguig's 1st council district to form the new Taguig City-Pateros district (or Taguig City, 1st District) in 2007. The 2nd council district was given its own congressional district.
"Pateros should likewise be entitled to its own representation in Congress by making its own legislative district," he said in the bill's explanatory note.
Four other bills seek to carve new districts out of existing ones:
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