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.

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

District Provinces/Cities Electorate[1] (1935) Population[1] (1935) Area (km2) Senators[2] (1934–1935)
Seat AParty Seat BParty
1st Abra, Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela 159,411 992,845 32,158.83 Melecio Arranz Nacionalista Democratico Elpidio Quirino Nacionalista Democratico
2nd La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales 176,535 997,314 10,779.54 Teófilo Sison Nacionalista Democratico Alejo Mabanag Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
3rd Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac 221,199 1,102,990 13,710.52 Hermogenes Concepción Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Sotero Baluyut Nacionalista Democratico
4th Bataan, Laguna, Manila, Rizal 241,389 982,720 5,055.32 Juan Sumulong Nacionalista Democratico Juan Nolasco Nacionalista Democratico
5th Batangas, Cavite, Marinduque, Mindoro, Tayabas 203,936 1,048,422 27,819.40 Manuel L. Quezon Nacionalista Democratico Claro M. Recto Nacionalista Democratico
6th Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Sorsogon 166,745 1,046,267 18,155.82 Domingo Imperial Nacionalista Democratico José O. Vera Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
7th Capiz, Iloilo, Romblon 145,571 1,033,570 11,633.25 Potenciano Treñas Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Ruperto Montinola Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
8th Antique, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Palawan 153,706 1,124,197 33,448.15 Isaac Lacson Nacionalista Democratico Gil Montilla Nacionalista Democratico
9th Leyte, Samar 147,381 1,314,183 23,251.10 José Avelino Nacionalista Democratico José María Veloso Nacionalista Democratico
10th Cebu 116,613 1,064,880 5,351.69 Sergio Osmeña Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Manuel Briones Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia
11th Bohol, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Surigao 124,520 876,400 18,600.41 José Clarín Nacionalista Democratico Juan Torralba Nacionalista Democratico
12th Agusan, Baguio, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Sulu, Zamboanga 78,966 1,515,617 100,035.97 Datu Sinsuat Balabaran Nacionalista Democrata Pro-Independencia Juan Gaerlan Nacionalista Democratico

See also

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.
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