Pangasinan: The head of the League of Municipalities in the Philippines (LMP) stated that the proposed reapportionment or redistricting of Pangasinan is legal but needs additional consultations and meetings. "I've been a board member for 12 years and have heard about redistricting. According to law, a population of 250,000 entitles you to one congressman," said Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario, LMP provincial president, when asked by reporters about the measure.
According to Philippines News Agency, ABONO Partylist Rep. Robert Estrella is proposing the Pangasinan reapportionment. Under the proposed law, the province will have a total of eight legislative districts, up from the current six. Based on the 2020 Census, Pangasinan's population was 3,163,190, estimated to be 3,200,771 in 2021. The increasing population requires expanding legislative districts for fair representation, as noted on the partylist's social media page.
Rosario mentioned that this proposal might not be a priority for Congress at the moment. "What they want is to talk about and see the merits of the law. But they're still in the groundwork. And I believe, it will take a while before this will finally be considered and put into law," he said. He added that, due to prioritization, this will not be considered a priority since Congress still has important matters to address.
Under the proposed law, the First District of Pangasinan will include Bolinao, Anda, Bani, Agno, Burgos, Infanta, Dasol, Alaminos City, Sual, and Mabini. The Second District will comprise Labrador, Bugallon, Lingayen, Aguilar, Mangatarem, and Binmaley. The Third District will include Calasiao, Malasiqui, Mapandan, Sta. Barbara, and San Carlos City. The Fourth District will be Dagupan, Mangaldan, San Fabian, and San Jacinto. The Fifth District will consist of Sison, Pozorrubio, Laoac, Binalonan, Urdaneta City, and Manaoag. The Sixth District will have San Manuel, San Quintin, Umingan, Tayug, Natividad, and San Nicolas. The Seventh District will include Sto. Tomas, Rosales, Asingan, Villasis, Sta. Maria, and Balungao. The Eighth District will consist of Bautista, Bayambang, Urbiztondo, Basista, and Alcala.
Rosario's town would be in the fifth legislative district, instead of the current fourth district. "That's what's surprising because we're already happy with the fourth district. Being the smallest district, we'll still be removed," he said. He emphasized that further consultation is required for the proposal to be implemented.
The house bill is at the committee level following its first reading in the plenary, according to ABONO Partylist.
