President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (file photo)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has signed two laws creating new legislative districts in Caloocan and Bulacan less than a year before the 2022 national and local elections.
Republic Act 11545 reapportions the district of Caloocan City into two legislative districts.
Under the law, the first legislative district of Caloocan will be composed of barangays 1 to 4, barangays 77 to 86, and barangays 132 to 177.
The city’s additional legislative shall be composed of barangay 178 to 188.
Estimates show that there are nearly 1.6 million residents in Caloocan City.
Meanwhile, RA 11546 reapportions the province of Bulacan into six legislative districts “to take effect in the 2022 national and local elections.”
Under RA 11546, each legislative district of Bulacan will be composed of the following:
* First legislative district: Calumpit, Hagonoy, Paombong, Pulilan, Bulakan, City of Malolos
* Second legislative district: Baliuag, Bustos, Plaridel
* Third legislative district: San Ildefonso, San Miguel, San Rafael, Dona Remedios Trinidad
* Fourth legislative districts: Obando, Marilao, City of Meycauayan
* Fifth legislative district: Guiguinto, Balagtas, Pandi, Bocaue
* Sixth legislative district: Sta. Maria, Norzagaray, Angat
There are currently around 3.3 million Filipinos residing in Bulacan.
Duterte also signed the 69-paged RA 11544 converting the municipality of Calaca in the province of Batangas into the City of Calaca.
Calaca has met the requisites under the Local Government Code, as amended by Republic Act 9009, for a municipality to be converted into a component city.
Calaca also has 105.49 sq. km. of land area, which is also higher than the 100 sq. km required by law.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) shall issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations within 30 days after the effectivity of the act.
All laws were signed on Wednesday (May 26). (PNA)
