The House of Representatives has approved on third, and final, reading a bill that reapportions Rizal’s Second District into three legislative districts.
Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, who represents the district, said House Bill 6222 was approved on Monday.
Nograles hailed the bill’s approval, and expressed optimism the measure would hurdle the Senate’s scrutiny and merit the President’s signature soon.
“We filed the reapportioning bill to ensure equitable representation for our constituents. At the moment, the coverage of the Second District is too big,” he said.
“No matter how we strive to serve all the constituents, some will be left behind if the present setup continues,” Nograles added.
Under the present setup, Rizal’s four legislators are representing 2.9 million constituents, or a ratio of one for every 721,000 people.
In contrast, Pangasinan and Batangas, which have roughly the same population, have six legislative districts, he explained.
The bill divides the Second District into three, with each one composed of the following towns:
• Second Legislative District–Cardona, Baras, Tanay, Morong, Jala-jala, Pililia, Teresa
• Third Legislative District–San Mateo
• Fourth Legislative District–Rodriguez (Montalban)
If enacted, the measure would take effect in time for the 2022 elections.
Nograles said he filed the reapportioning bill earlier this year on account of logistical challenges he had encountered during his first year in office.
“While we are aware that governance requires making hard decisions in terms of distributing valuable yet finite resources in our jurisdictions, the choice is much more difficult when by all accounts the towns are on equal footing,” lamented the lawmaker.
He also said that the province would receive additional funds with two more legislative districts and that would help Rizal grapple with the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns imposed to control its spread.