Legislative district of Baguio

Philippines
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The Legislative district of Baguio City is the representation of the highly urbanized city of Baguio in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The city is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its lone congressional district.

History

In 1917 the city of Baguio, along with the undivided Mountain Province, was provided representation in the Philippine Legislature. Pursuant to the Revised Administrative Code (Act No. 2711) enacted on March 10, 1917, the non-Christian-majority areas of the Philippines, which then included the Mountain Province and Baguio City, were to be collectively represented in the legislature's upper house by two senators from the 12th senatorial district, both appointed by the Governor-General.[1] Three assembly members, also appointed by the Governor-General, were to represent the Mountain Province and the chartered city of Baguio in the lower house as a single at-large district.[1]

The residents of Baguio and the Mountain Province only began electing representatives through popular vote in 1935 by virtue of Act No. 4203; the law provided the territorial coverage for each lower house representative district, while also abolishing the senatorial district system.[2] The city was then represented as part of the Mountain Province's second district, which also included the sub-province of Benguet.[2]

Areas now under the jurisdiction of Baguio were first represented separately during the Second World War. As a chartered city, two delegates represented Baguio in the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic: one was the city mayor (an ex officio member), while the other was elected through an assembly of KALIBAPI members within the city during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945, the city reverted to its pre-war representation with the sub-province of Benguet as part of the undivided Mountain Province's second district.

The enactment of Republic Act No. 4695 on June 18, 1966 made the sub-province of Benguet into a full-fledged province.[3] Per Section 10 of R.A. 4695 Baguio City was to be part of the newly independent province's representative district.[3] The new province of Benguet, along with Baguio, together elected one representative starting in the next general election.

Baguio was represented in the Interim Batasang Pambansa as part of Region I from 1978 to 1984. Having been classified as a highly urbanized city on 22 December 1979 through Batas Pambansa Blg. 51,[4] Baguio was granted separate representation in the Regular Batasang Pambansa, returning one representative, elected at-large in 1984.

The city was once more grouped with Benguet under the new Constitution[5] which was proclaimed on 11 February 1987. Baguio, despite being an independent city since 1909, comprised what was legally known between 1987 and 1995 as the first district of Benguet, while the territory of the actual province of Benguet itself comprised the second district. Both elected members to the restored House of Representatives starting that same year.

Starting in 1995 the first district of Benguet was re-designated as the "Legislative district of Baguio City" thereby permitting the city to once again elect a representative under its own name.

Lone District

Period Representative[6]
10th Congress
1995–1998		 Bernardo M. Vergara
11th Congress
1998–2001
12th Congress
2001–2004		 Mauricio G. Domogan
13th Congress
2004–2007
14th Congress
2007–2010
15th Congress
2010–2013		 Bernardo M. Vergara
16th Congress
2013–2016		 Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr.
17th Congress
2016–2019		 Mark O. Go

At-Large (defunct)

Period Representatives[6]
National Assembly
1943–1944		 Florendo Aquino[7]
Nicasio S. Valderrosa (ex officio)[7]
Regular Batasang Pambansa
1984–1986		 Honorato Y. Aquino

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Philippine Legislature (1917). Revised Administrative Code of the Philippine Islands of 1917 (Act No. 2711) (Digitized Revised Administrative Code of the Philippine Islands of 1917 from the Presidential Museum and Library Collection, uploaded on 15 February 2016). Bureau of Printing. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Philippine Legislature (1937). Public Laws Enacted by the Philippine Legislature, Acts No. 4203 to 4275. Bureau of Printing Office. p. 5.
  3. 1 2 Congress of the Philippines (18 June 1966). "Republic Act No. 4695 - An Act Creating the Provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao". Chan Robles Law Library. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Batasang Pambansa (22 December 1979). "Batas Pambansa Blg. 51 - An Act Providing for the Elective or Appointive Positions in Various Local Government and For Other Purposes". Chan Robles Law Library. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  5. ↑ 1986 Constitutional Commission (2 February 1987). "1987 Constitution of the Philippines - Apportionment Ordinance". Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  6. 1 2 Congressional Library Bureau. "Roster of Philippine Legislators". Republic of the Philippines, House of Representatives. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  7. 1 2 Official program of the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines and the induction into office of His Excellency Jose P. Laurel. Bureau of Printing. 1943.

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