MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – A new congressional district has been created, this time for the city of Santa Rosa in Laguna.

Through Republic Act 11395, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, August 22, Santa Rosa City is carved out of the first district of Laguna. 

This leaves San Pedro City as the only local government left in Laguna’s first legislative district. Biñan City, previously in the first district, had its own district starting in the 2016 polls.

Incumbent congressman Danilo Ramon Fernandez will continue representing the current first district of Laguna in Congress until the first representative for Santa Rosa City is elected.

This will be Laguna’s 3rd new legislative district since 2016, after Biñan City and Calamba City. After the election of the Santa Rosa representative, Laguna will have 7 representatives in Congress.

The Santa Rosa City district is the 9th* congressional district created under Duterte. Prior to this, the President signed Republic Act 11257 in April 2019 giving Mandaue City its own district, separating it from Cebu’s 6th district.

Santa Rosa City has a population of 353,767, based on the 2015 census, while the remainder of the current first district – San Pedro City – has 325,809 residents.

In the 2019 elections, Santa Rosa City had 213,913 registered voters, and San Pedro City had 186,049 voters. 

RA 11395 will be effective 15 days after the law’s publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. The Commission on Elections is also ordered to issue implementing rules and regulations within 60 days from the law’s effectivity. 

RA 11395 also repealed Section 59 of RA 9264 or the city charter of Santa Rosa, which retained the city in Laguna’s first district. Other laws inconsistent with the new law are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. – Rappler.com

* Editor’s Note: We earlier wrote that the Santa Rosa City district is the 8th new district under Duterte. We have reflected the correct count.