Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

No._3718

INTRODUCED BY HON. JOSEPH F. VIOLAGO

House Bil

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The bill seeks to create the Fifth District in the Province of Nueva Ecija by reapportioning
the two (2) cities and six (6) municipalities comprising the Second Legislative District of the
province.

Under the 1987 Constitution, specifically Article VI, Section 5(3), it provides that "Each
legislative district shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacent territory.
Each city with a population of at least two hundred fifty thousand, or each province, shall have at
least one representative."

Congress is mandated by the Constitution to make a reapportionment of legislative districts
within three (3) years following the return of every national census. This is to ensure that in case of
an increase in population of a city or province, the increase of inhabitants are duly represented in
Congress, at the ratio of a representative for every 250,000 inhabitants.

Presently, pursuant to the Ordinance apended to our 1987 Constitution, the apportionment of
legislative districts in the province of Nueva Ecija, as provided by law, is as follows:

"NUEVA ECUJA with Four (4) Districts -- First District : Municipalities of Aliaga, Cuyapo,
Guimba, Licab, Nampicuan, Quezon, Santo Domingo, Talavera and Zaragoza; Second District :
Cities of San Jose and Mujioz, municipalities of Carranglan, Llanera, Lupao, Pantabangan, Rizal
and Talugtug; Third District : Cities of Cabanatuan and Palayan, municipalities of Bongabon,
Gabaldon, General Mamerto Natividad, Laur and Santa Rosa; Fourth District - City of Gapan,
municipalities of Cabiao, General Tinio, Jaen, Pefiaranda, San Antonio, San Isidro and San
Leonardo."

Since 1987, the population of the Province of Nueva Ecija had tremendously increased to
1,955,373 persons as of May 1, 2010 as per 2.01% annual population growth rate of Nueva Ecija
conducted by the National Statistics Office, necessitating a reapportionment of its legislative
districts in order to give proper and adequate representation in the House Of Representatives to all
inhabitants of Nueva Ecija.

The reapportionment of legislative districts proposed in this Bill adheres to the standards
prescribed in Section 5, paragraph (3), of Article VI of the Constitution, i.e. as far as practicable in
contiguous, compact and adjacent territory.


It may be true that the population in the proposed new Fifth Legislative District of Nueva
Ecija may not reach 250,000 inhabitants, However, the Supreme Court in the case of "Aquino vs.
COMELEC" (G.R. No, 189793 - April 7, 2010), has ruled that a population of 250,000 is not an
indispensable requirement for the formulation of an additional legislative district in a province,
whose population growth has increased beyond the 1986 numbers.

Under the same Supreme Court ruling, it provides that the number of inhabitants in the
resulting additional district should not be considered. It further clarified that population is not the
only factor but is just one of several other factors in the composition of the additional district,

Thus, to meet the increasing socio-economic demands of its people by means of
representation, the need to reapportion is imperative. The magnitude task and troubles that beset the
people in the area further show the compelling reasons to reapportion in the soonest time.

strongly recommended.

gpa
JOSEPH F. VIOLAGO.

Congressman
Second (2nd) District of Nueva Ecija

Accordingly, approval of this proposed measure, i



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS,
First Regular Session

718

House Bill No.”

INTRODUCED BY HON. JOSEPH F. VIOLAGO

“AN ACT CREATING THE FIFTH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT IN THE PROVINCE OF
NUEVA ECIJA BY REAPPORTIONING THE SECOND LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT OF
THE PROVINCE. ”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Reapportionment of the Second (2nd) Legislative District of Nueva Ecija -
There shall be created the Fifth Legislative District in the Province of Nueva Beija by
reapportioning the two (2) cities and six (6) municipalities comprising the Second Legislative
District of the Province of Nueva Ecija.

SECTION 2. Composition of the new Fifth Legislative District - San Jose City and the
municipalities of Carranglan, Lupao and Talugtug shall continue to constitute the Second
Legislative District, while the Science City of Muioz and the municipalities of Pantabangan, Rizal,
and Llanera shall constitute the new Fifth Legislative Di

‘The composition of the current First (Ist), Third (3rd) and Fourth (4th) Legislative Districts
of Nueva Ecija shall not be affected by the reapportionment mandated under this Act.

SECTION 3. Election of Representative - The election for the Representative of the Fifth
Legislative District of the Province of Nueva Ecija as created under this Act shall take place during
the next national and local elections after the effectivity of this Act and every three (3) years
therafter.

SECTION 4. Sangguniang Panglalawigan - In accordance with the reapportionment
mandated by this Act, there shall be elected in the next national and local elections after the
effectivity of this Act, two (2) regular Sangguniang Panglalawigan members representing the new
Fifth District of Nueva Ecija.

SECTION 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations - The Commission on Elections shall
issue the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 6. Repeating Clause - All laws, decrees, rules and regulations and other
issuances or part thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended,
repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication either in the Offical Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

APPROVED,