Vote-rich Bulacan and Caloocan City will soon have more representatives in Congress after President Rodrigo Duterte approved measures granting them more legislative districts.

The representatives of these districts will be elected in the 2022 national elections.

Bulacan, a province known to have one of the biggest voting populations in Luzon, will now have six legislative districts, instead of four.

Republic Act No. 11546 laid down the components of the six districts:

• 1st District – Calumpit, Hagonoy, Paombong, Pulilan, Bulakan, and Malolos City
• 2nd District – Baliuag, Bustos, and Plaridel
• 3rd District – San Ildefonso, San Miguel, San Rafael, and Doña Remedios Trinidad
• 4th District – Obando, Marilao, and Meycauayan City
• 5th District – Guiguinto, Balagtas, Pandi, and Bocaue
• 6th District – Santa Maria, Norzagaray, and Angat

Caloocan’s three districts

Caloocan City will get one new legislative district because of Republic Act No. 11545 which splits its first district into two – the first legislative district and third legislative district. Thus, the city will have three legislative districts by the 2022 elections.

The new first district’s territorial jurisdiction covers Barangays 1 to 4, 77 to 85, and 132 to 177. The third district will cover Barangays 178 to 188.

The district that was split is currently under Representative Dale “Along” Malapitan, son of incumbent Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan who is on his last term.

The younger Malapitan is expected to vie for the mayoralty against Representative Edgar Erice, who represents the second district.
Erice had strongly opposed the splitting of Malapitan’s district, saying it was “without logic” and did not have the support of Caloocan residents.

However, Tarlac Repredentative Noel Villanueva, who defended the measure as chairman of the House committee on local government, said splitting the district would ensure better representation for its roughly 1.6 million residents. – Rappler.com