Guv says additional district to hasten dev't of Bataan

BALANGA

CITY, Bataan – President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill that sought the creation of an additional legislative district in this province, the provincial government announced on Friday.

On Thursday night, House Bill 8664 authored by Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III became Republic Act 11553, an "Act providing for the reapportionment of the province of Bataan into three legislative districts".

“Sa pagkakaroon ng ikatlong distrito, madaragdagan ang alokasyon ng pondo para sa mga proyekto at serbisyo ng ating lalawigan (With the third district, the allocation of funds for the projects and services in our province will increase),”Governor Albert Garcia said in an official social media post.

He said this development will hasten the progress of Bataan as it would entail the establishment of more facilities and infrastructure projects "that will pave the way for the delivery of more quality public services to our provincemates".

Under the new law, the first district covers the municipalities of Hermosa, Orani, Samal and Abucay; second district - Balanga City and the towns of Orion, Pilar and Limay; and the third district Mariveles, Bagac, Dinalupihan and Morong.

Bataan previously had two districts with the first district covering the towns of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay and Morong, while the second district included Balanga City and the towns of Pilar, Orion, Limay, Mariveles and Bagac.

Rep. Geraldine Roman represents the first district while Garcia represents the second district.

The voting population in the third district will have the opportunity to choose their representative in next year's elections.