Senatorial districts of the Philippines

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Senatorial districts

The senatorial districts of the Philippines were the representations of the provinces of the Philippines in the Philippine Senate from 1916 to 1935.

Contents

History

The enactment of the Philippine Autonomy Act (popularly known as "Jones Law") in August 1916 by the United States Congress provided for the creation of a bicameral legislature consisting of a lower chamber (House of Representatives) and an upper chamber (Senate). Until then the Philippine Commission held the executive power and some legislative powers over the American colony.

The system of government of the Philippines in its early years of transition to democratic self-government was deliberately structured to emulate the American model. The Philippines thus followed the American system of electing the members of the 24-seat senate by district.

The districts were organized and numbered in a roughly north–south fashion, much like the present administrative regions. The first eleven districts were composed of established provinces, while the twelfth was composed of the provinces of the Luzon interior and much of Mindanao – both of which were never fully administered by the old Spanish colonial government and designated by American authorities as "non-Christian" areas.

The first to eleventh districts elected two senators each by popular vote. The two senators from the twelfth district were appointed by the U.S. governor-general. The setup lasted until the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935, when the bicameral legislature was abolished, as the 1935 Constitution provided only for a unicameral National Assembly. However, when the Constitution was amended in 1940 to re-establish a bicameral Congress, members of the Senate had to be voted at-large, thereby effectively abolishing the district system.

List

DistrictProvinces/CitiesElectorate [1] (1935)Population [1] (1935)Area (km2)Senators [2] (1934–1935)
Seat APartySeat BParty
1st Abra, Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela 159,411992,84532,158.83 Melecio Arranz Nacionalista Democratico Elpidio Quirino Nacionalista Democratico
2nd La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales 176,535997,31410,779.54 Teófilo Sison Nacionalista Democratico Alejo Mabanag Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
3rd Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac 221,1991,102,99013,710.52 Hermogenes Concepción Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Sotero Baluyut Nacionalista Democratico
4th Bataan, Laguna, Manila, Rizal 241,389982,7205,055.32 Juan Sumulong Nacionalista Democratico Juan Nolasco Nacionalista Democratico
5th Batangas, Cavite, Marinduque, Mindoro, Tayabas 203,9361,048,42227,819.40 Manuel L. Quezon Nacionalista Democratico Claro M. Recto Nacionalista Democratico
6th Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Sorsogon 166,7451,046,26718,155.82 Domingo Imperial Nacionalista Democratico José O. Vera Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
7th Capiz, Iloilo, Romblon 145,5711,033,57011,633.25 Potenciano Treñas Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Ruperto Montinola Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
8th Antique, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Palawan 153,7061,124,19733,448.15 Isaac Lacson Nacionalista Democratico Gil Montilla Nacionalista Democratico
9th Leyte, Samar 147,3811,314,18323,251.10 José Avelino Nacionalista Democratico José María Veloso Nacionalista Democratico
10th Cebu 116,6131,064,8805,351.69 Sergio Osmeña Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Manuel Briones Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
11th Bohol, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Surigao 124,520876,40018,600.41 José Clarín Nacionalista Democratico Juan Torralba Nacionalista Democratico
12th Agusan, Baguio, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Sulu, Zamboanga 78,9661,515,617100,035.97 Datu Sinsuat Balabaran Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Juan Gaerlan Nacionalista Democratico

See also

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Philippines's 3rd senatorial district, officially the Third Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the east-central Luzon provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac.

Philippines's 4th senatorial district, officially the Fourth Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the capital Manila and adjacent provinces in south-central Luzon, namely Bataan, Laguna and Rizal.

Philippines's 5th senatorial district, officially the Fifth Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the southern Luzon provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Mindoro and Tayabas. Marinduque was added in 1920 upon its re-establishment as a regular province separate from Tayabas.

Philippines's 6th senatorial district, officially the Sixth Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the southern Luzon provinces of Albay, Ambos Camarines and Sorsogon. Ambos Camarines was split into the provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur in 1919, and Masbate was added in 1920 upon its re-establishment as a regular province separate from Sorsogon.

Philippines's 7th senatorial district, officially the Seventh Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the western Visayas provinces of Capiz and Iloilo. Romblon was added in 1917 upon its re-establishment as a regular province separate from Capiz.

Philippines's 8th senatorial district, officially the Eighth Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the western Visayas provinces of Antique, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Palawan.

Philippines's 9th senatorial district, officially the Ninth Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the eastern Visayas provinces of Leyte and Samar.

Philippines's 10th senatorial district, officially the Tenth Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the central Visayas province of Cebu.

Philippines's 11th senatorial district, officially the Eleventh Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. It elected two members to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands for each of the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law from the central Visayas province of Bohol and the northern Mindanao provinces of Misamis and Surigao. Misamis was split into the provinces of Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental in 1929.

Philippines's 12th senatorial district, officially the Twelfth Senatorial District of the Philippine Islands, was one of the twelve senatorial districts of the Philippines in existence between 1916 and 1935. Unlike the first eleven districts which elected two members each to the Senate of the Philippines, the upper chamber of the bicameral Philippine Legislature under the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, the two senators from this district were appointed by the Governor-General of the Philippines to serve indefinite terms in the 4th to 10th legislatures. The district was created under the 1916 Jones Law to represent the non-Christian tribes of the northern Luzon provinces of Mountain Province and Nueva Vizcaya, the city of Baguio, and the Moro people and other non-Christian tribes of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu provinces of Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu and Zamboanga.

References

  1. 1 2 Philippines. Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Division of Statistics (1934). Bulletin of Philippine Statistics. pp. 112–124, 130–145. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  2. "List of previous senators". Senate of the Philippines . Retrieved May 15, 2020.