78. REPRESENTATIVES & THE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS OF ISABELA
REPRESENTATIVES &
THE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS OF ISABELA
Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano
17
October 2018
Today is the last day
of the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for the May 14, 2019 midterm
elections for aspiring public servants. Twelve slots for senator, one
representative, one partylist representative, one governor, one vice governor, two sangguniang panlalawigan members, one
mayor, one vice mayor, ten sangguniang panlungsod members or eight sangguniang
bayan members are at stake. This is also the first time candidates will vie for
the new six districts of the province of Isabela. Last September 27 of this
year, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11080,
increasing the legislative districts from four to six and reapportioned the
district assignments of cities and municipalities of the country’s second
largest province.
In
1810, the Spanish government in Madrid came up with a decree granting its
colonies representation as provinces in the Spanish Cortes through deputies
chosen by the various capital cities. The Philippines was represented in the
Spanish Cortes from 1810-1813, 1820-1823, and 1833-1837. However, no representation
per province was selected until the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896.
The Malolos
Congress or formally known as the "National Assembly" of
representatives was the constituent assembly of the First
Philippine Republic.
It convened on September 15, 1898 at the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan and drafted the
Malolos Constitution. Two delegates were elected and one
was appointed by President Emilio Aguinaldo. Don Raymundo Gaduang Alindada (1855-1928;
from Bagabag in Nueva Vizcaya; a music teacher and school master and was
honored with a street name in Manila), Don Eustacio del Rosario and Don
Abelardo Guzman were the official representatives for Isabela de Luzon.
On February 4, 1899, the Philippine-American
War erupted and on March 23, 1901,
after over two years, President Aguinaldo was captured by the American forces
led by Col. Frederick Funston at the remote coastal town of Palanan, Isabela.
Eventually, the Americans established a civil government run by both Americans
and Filipinos. The 1st Philippine Legislature was
the first representative legislature of the Philippines. On July 30, 1907,
the first nationwide elections ever held in the Philippines elected the members
of the 1st Philippine Legislature. The Lone District of Isabela was
represented by the election of Hon. Nicasio P. Claravall of the Progresista
Party who hails from the capital-town of Ilagan. However, the Assembly which
was inaugurated on October 16, 1907, unseated Claravall on January 20, 1908 in
favor of Hon. Dimas Guzman y Masigan of the Nacionalista Party who was from
Cabagan Nuevo. Guzman died in office on March 18, 1909. The position was not
filled up since the election was set on the same year.
The following served
as Representative of the Lone District of Isabela from the 2nd to
the 10th Philippine Legislature (1910-1935): Hon. Basilio Eliseo
Claravall (1910-1916), Hon. Mauro P. Verzosa (1916-1919), Hon. Miguel B. Binag
(1919-1922), Hon. Tolentino P. Verzosa (1922-1925), Hon. Manuel Nieto
(1925-1928), Hon. Pascual G. Paguirigan (1928-1931), Hon. Silvestre B. Macutay
(1931-1934) and Hon. Silvino M. Gumpal (1934-1935).
On July 10, 1934, the
election of delegates to the 1934 Philippine Constitutional
Convention was held in accordance with the Tydings-McDuffie Act. The
Convention drafted the 1935 Constitution, which was the basic law of
the Philippines under the American-sponsored Commonwealth of the
Philippines and the post-War, sovereign Third Republic. The elected
delegates representing the Lone District of Isabela were: former Representative
Miguel B. Binag and Hon. Elias N. Ocampo.
In the 1st to the 3rd
National Assembly during the Commonwealth period, the representatives of the
Lone District of Isabela were: former Representative Mauro Verzosa (1935-1941)
and former Governor Lino J. Castillejos (1941-1946) whose term was cut short in
1942 when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded the country.
The National Assembly
during the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic (1943-1944) consisted of 108
members with Hon. Gregorio P. Formoso and Governor Lino J. Castillejos
(ex-officio) both from the KALIBAPI Party as representatives of Isabela.
The First
Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, also known as the
"Postwar Congress" and the "Liberation Congress", refers to
the meeting of the bicameral legislature composed of the Senate and House
of Representatives, from 1945 to 1946. This Congress convened only after the
reestablishment of the Commonwealth Government in 1945 when
President Sergio Osmeña called it to five special sessions. Osmeña
had replaced Manuel L. Quezon as president after the former died in
exile in the United States in 1944. Hon. Lino J. Castillejos served his
unexpired term in this Congress.
The First
Congress of the Philippines (1946-1949) was originally convened as
the Second Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. On August
5, 1946, Republic Act No. 6 was approved, renaming the body as the
First Congress of the Philippines. Honored as the first Representative or
“Congressman” from the Lone District of Isabela was Hon. Domingo B. Paguirigan.
The following served in the 2nd to the 7th Congress: Hon. Samuel F. Reyes (1949-1957),
Hon. Delfin B. Albano (1957-1965), Hon. Melanio T. Singson (1965-1969) and Hon.
Rodolfo B. Albano, Jr. (1969-1972).
The Philippine
Constitutional Convention of 1971 was called to change the 1935
Constitution. The five-man delegates for
the province of Isabela were elected on November 10, 1970. They were: Hon.
Benjamin C. Reyes, Hon. Heherson T. Alvarez, Hon. Francisco Albano, Jr., Hon.
Celso D. Gañgan and Hon. Leocadio E. Ignacio.
From 1978 to 1984,
former Congressman Rodolfo B. Albano, Jr. and Mayor Prospero G. Bello of Jones
town were two of the eight Representatives for Region II in the unicameral Interim
Batasang Pambansa. In 1984, the regular Batasang Pambansa convened with Hon.
Rodolfo B. Albano, Jr. Hon. Prospero G. Bello and Hon. Simplicio B. Domingo,
Jr. as members of Parliament being elected at-large for Cagayan Valley region.
One of the aftermaths
of the People Power Revolution of 1986 was the re-opening of Congress. Isabela
was redistricted into four legislative districts. The following served in
the 1st District (Cabagan, Delfin
Albano, Divilacan, Maconacon, Palanan, San
Pablo, Santa
Maria, Santo
Tomas, Tumauini & City of
Ilagan) in the 8th to the 17th Congress: Hon. Rodolfo B.
Albano, Jr. (1987-1998, 2001-2004 & 2010-2013) and Hon. Rodolfo T. Albano
III (1998-2001, 2004-2010 & 2013-2019).
The 2nd
District (Aurora, Benito Soliven, Burgos, Gamu, Mallig, Naguilian, Quezon,
Quirino, Roxas, San Manuel & San Mariano) Congressmen were: Hon. Simplicio
B. Domingo, Jr. (1987-1992), Faustino S. Dy, Jr. (1992-2001), Hon. Edwin C. Uy
(2001-2010) and Hon. Ana Cristina Siquian-Go (2010-2019).
Serving the 3rd
District (Alicia, Angadanan, Cabatuan, Luna, Reina Mercedes, San Guillermo, San
Mateo & Cauayan City) in the 8th to the 17th Congress
were: Hon. Santiago P. Respicio (1987-1998), Hon. Ramon M. Reyes (1998-2001),
Hon. Faustino G. Dy III (2001-2010) and Hon. Napoleon S. Dy (2010-2019).
The Representative of
the 4th District (Cordon, Dinapigue, Echague, Jones, Ramon, San
Agustin, San Isidro & Santiago City) of Isabela were: Hon. Antonio M. Abaya
(1987-1998 & 2001-2003 died in office), Hon. Heherson T. Alvarez
(1998-2001), Hon. Giorgidi B. Aggabao (2003-2004, 2007-2016), Hon. Anthony
Miranda (2004-2007) and Hon. Ma. Lourdes R. Aggabao (2016-2019).
Aside from the four
district representations, three Isabeleños served in the Partlylist, namely; Hon.
Arnel U. Ty (LPGMA 2010-2019), Hon. Jose T. Panganiban, Jr. (ANAC-IP 2013-2019)
and Hon. Silvestre B. Bello III (1BAP 2013-2016).
The new 1st
District is composed of the following LGU: Ilagan City, Cabagan, Delfin Albano, Divilacan, Maconacon, San Pablo, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas & Tumauini; the 2nd District: Benito Soliven, Gamu, Naguilian, Palanan, Reina Mercedes & San Mariano; the 3rd District: Alicia, Angadanan, Cabatuan, Ramon & San Mateo, the 4th District:
City: Santiago City, Cordon, Dinapigue, Jones & San Agustin; the 5th District:
Aurora, Burgos, Luna, Mallig, Quezon, Quirino, Roxas & San Manuel; and the 6th
District: Cauayan City, Echague, San Guillermo & San Isidro.
With 1,593,566
inhabitants, based on the 2015 census, the six districts give the common
Isabeleño proper representation in Congress to be heard and benefit the funds
allocated per district on programs and projects that will uplift their lives
and the province as well.
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