Batangas sees 2 new districts; Cavite sees new city soon

SAN PEDRO CITY—Batangas province is looking at having two new legislative districts while the municipality of General Trias in Cavite province may soon become a city.

The Senate, on June 1, approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 3750, which seeks to reapportion Batangas province thereby increasing from four to six the number of its congressional districts.

HB 3750, introduced by Batangas second district Rep. Raneo Abu, originally sought to separate Batangas City from its current district to constitute “the Lone Legislative District of the City of Batangas.”

But during one of the Senate committee deliberations, Sen. Ralph Recto proposed to amend the bill by carving Lipa City out of its current district to constitute another separate district.

Recto is from Lipa City and the husband of incumbent Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto.

Batangas third district

Rep. Sonny Collantes, one of those who introduced HB 3750, said by phone on Monday that Batangas lawmakers posed no objection to the inclusion of Lipa City as a separate district in HB 3750. Once it passes the bicameral committee, HB 3750 would only be awaiting the approval of President Aquino, he added.

In statement posted on the Senate’s website, Senate committee on local government chair Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Batangas “deserves additional seats” in Congress given the increasing population of the province. As of 2010, Batangas has a voting population of 1.3 million.

Meanwhile, the Senate also approved on final reading HB No. 4769 that seeks to convert General Trias into a component city in Cavite.

Marcos said the municipality had progressed from an agricultural into an industrial town.