Legislative district of Davao

Last updated September 20, 2020

The legislative district of Davao was the representation of the historical province of Davao in the various national legislatures of the Philippines until its dissolution in 1967.

History

Initially being excluded from representation in the lower house of the Philippine Legislature in 1907, the then-non-Christian-majority areas of the Philippines — which included the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, of which Davao was part — were finally extended legislative representation with the passage of the Philippine Autonomy Act in 1916 by the United States Congress. The Revised Administrative Code (Act No. 2711) enacted on 10 March 1917 further elaborated on the manner by which these areas would be represented.^[1] The non-Christian areas were to be collectively represented in the upper house's 12th senatorial district by two senators, both appointed by the Governor-General.^[1] Five assembly members, also appointed by the Governor-General, were to represent the seven component provinces of Department of Mindanao and Sulu — Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu and Zamboanga — in the lower house as a single at-large district. These arrangements remained in place despite the abolition of the Department in 1920.

The voters of Davao Province were finally given the right to elect their own representative through popular vote beginning in 1935 by virtue of Article VI, Section 1 of the 1935 Constitution.^[2]

During the Second World War, the Province of Davao sent two delegates to the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic: one was the provincial governor (an ex officio member), while the other was elected through a provincial assembly of KALIBAPI members during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Davao City, being a chartered city, was represented separately in this short-lived legislative body. Upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945, the representations of Davao Province and Davao City were once again combined to form a lone congressional district.

The enactment of Republic Act No. 4867 on 8 May 1967 split the old Davao Province into Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental, and providing each new province a congressional district.^[3] The last representative of the undivided Davao Province, Rep. Lorenzo Sarmiento, began to solely serve as the representative of his chosen successor province (Davao del Norte) in the second half of the 6th Congress, per Section 4 of R.A. 4867.^[3] The first representatives of Davao del Sur (including Davao City) and Davao Oriental also began to serve their new provinces in the second half of the 6th Congress.

Lone District (defunct)

Period	Representative^[4]
1st National Assembly 1935–1938	Romualdo Quimpo
2nd National Assembly 1938–1941	Cesar M. Sotto
1st Commonwealth Congress 1945	Juan A. Sarenas
1st Congress 1946–1949	Apolinario Cabigon
2nd Congress 1949–1953	Ismael L. Veloso
3rd Congress 1953–1957	Ismael L. Veloso
4th Congress 1957–1961	Gavino R. Sepulveda
5th Congress 1961–1965	Ismael L. Veloso
6th Congress 1965–1969	Lorenzo S. Sarmiento¹
6th Congress 1965–1969	see Lone districts of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental

^1 Elected in 1965 as representative for the undivided province of Davao; began to serve as the representative of Davao del Norte beginning in the second half of the 6th Congress, after the separate representatives for Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental took office, pursuant to R.A. 4867.^[3]

At-Large (defunct)

includes what are now the provinces of Davao de Oro (Compostela Valley), Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental and Davao Oriental
excludes Davao City

Period	Representatives
National Assembly 1943–1944	Juan A. Sarenas^[5]
National Assembly 1943–1944	Romualdo C. Quimpo (ex officio)^[5]

Related Research Articles

The provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 81 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The local government units in the National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are independent of any provincial government. Each province is governed by an elected legislature called the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and an elected governor.

Davao del Norte is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tagum. The province also includes Samal Island to the south in the Davao Gulf.

Davao, officially the Province of Davao, was a province in the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. The old province is coterminous with the present-day Davao Region or Region XI. It was divided into three provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Sur with the passage of Philippine Republic Act No. 4867 on May 8, 1967. Two more provinces, Compostela Valley and Davao Occidental, were carved out of the territories of Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur respectively. The descendant provinces were reorganized into the current region in 2001.

Davao Oriental is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Mati, and it borders the province of Davao de Oro to the west, and Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur to the north. The province is the traditional homeland of the Mandaya and Kagan people.

The legislative districts of Agusan del Norte are the representations of the province of Agusan del Norte and the highly urbanized city of Butuan in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province and the city are currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through their first and second congressional districts.

The legislative district of Mindanao and Sulu was the collective representation of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu and its component provinces of Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu and Zamboanga as a single at-large district in the lower house of the Philippine Legislature from 1916 until 1935.

The legislative district of Agusan was the representation of the historical province of Agusan in the various national legislatures of the Philippines until 1969. Butuan also remained part of the province's representation even after becoming a chartered city in 1950.

The legislative district of Zamboanga was the representation of the historical province of Zamboanga in the various national legislatures of the Philippines until 1953. The undivided province's representation encompassed the present-day provinces of Basilan, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay, and the highly urbanized city of Zamboanga.

The legislative districts of Agusan del Sur are the representations of the province of Agusan del Sur in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

The legislative districts of Davao City are the representations of the highly urbanized city of Davao 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 first, second, and third congressional districts.

The legislative districts of Zamboanga del Sur are the representations of the province of Zamboanga del Sur in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

The legislative districts of Sulu are the representations of the province of Sulu in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

The legislative districts of Davao del Norte are the representation of the province of Davao del Norte in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

The legislative district of Davao del Sur is the representation of the province of Davao del Sur in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its lone congressional district.

The legislative districts of Davao Oriental are the representations of the province of Davao Oriental in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

The legislative districts of Davao de Oro are the representations of the province of Davao de Oro in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

The legislative districts of Cotabato are the representations of the province of Cotabato in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first, second, and third congressional districts.

The legislative district of Lanao was the representation of the historical province of Lanao in the various national legislatures of the Philippines until 1969. Marawi and Iligan also remained part of the province's representation even after becoming chartered cities in 1940 and 1950, respectively.

The southern island group of Mindanao in the Philippines is divided into six administrative regions. Each region is subdivided into provinces.

The legislative district of Davao Occidental is the representation of the province of Davao Occidental in the Congress of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress through its lone congressional district.

References

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 4 February 2017.
↑ Commonwealth of the Philippines (8 February 1935). "The 1935 Constitution". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
1 2 3 Congress of the Philippines (8 May 1967). "Republic Act No. 4867 - An Act Creating the Provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
↑ Congressional Library Bureau. "Roster of Philippine Legislators". Republic of the Philippines, House of Representatives. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
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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[act2711-1] 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 4 February 2017.

[1935constitution-2] Commonwealth of the Philippines (8 February 1935). "The 1935 Constitution". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 19 November 2017.

[ra4867-3] 1 2 3 Congress of the Philippines (8 May 1967). "Republic Act No. 4867 - An Act Creating the Provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 3 February 2017.

[roster-4] Congressional Library Bureau. "Roster of Philippine Legislators". Republic of the Philippines, House of Representatives. Retrieved 17 February 2017.

[prog-5] 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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