Sangguniang Panlalawigan - Allocation and Apportionment of Regularly Elected Members

Allocation and Apportionment of Regularly Elected Members

The number of regular Sanggunian members is based on the income of the province as classified by the Department of Finance. The Commission on Elections issues resolutions allocating the number regular members of the Sanggunian a province may elect should a province's income classification change. First-class and second-class provinces have 10 regularly elected members, 8 for third- and fourth-class provinces and 6 for fifth- and sixth-class provinces. Exceptions to the rule are provinces which are divided into more than five congressional districts. Each Sangguniang Panlalawigan district in the provinces of Cavite, Cebu, Negros Occidental and Pangasinan elect two members to the Sanggunian, resulting in a total number of 14 regularly elected SP members in Cavite, and 12 in the three other provinces.

The Commission on Elections apportions the number of Sanggunian members among the SP districts into which the province is divided. As much as possible, the members are equally divided among the legislative districts. If such equal division is improbable the remaining numbers are assigned to the districts with a bigger population count than the others. The COMELEC likewise factors out the population of independent cities which do not elect provincial officials in determining the apportionment of the Sanggunian members among the districts. Provinces which are composed only of one congressional district are divided into two sanggunian districts by the COMELEC for purposes of electing SP members.

A majority of Sangguniang Panlalawigan districts are contiguous to existing congressional districts. The exceptions are the following:

• Provinces which comprise a lone congressional district are divided into two Sanggunian districts by the COMELEC.
• Congressional districts that encompass independent cities which are not allowed to participate in provincial politics.
• The 4th SP district of Bulacan encompasses the entire 4th Congressional district of Bulacan plus the city of San Jose del Monte, which in 2004 started to elect its own congressional representative but was not separated by law to constitute its own Sangguniang Panlalawigan district.

The following is a table with the number of members elected from each SP district, showing the apportionment in place for the 2010 elections:

^a Provinces in italic are those which are represented in Congress by just one representative, and therefore were divided into two by COMELEC for the purpose of electing SP members.

^b The highly urbanized city of Butuan is excluded from the 1st SP district of Agusan del Norte, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of the province.

^c The component city of San Jose del Monte is included in the 4th SP district of Bulacan, despite constituting its own congressional district.

^d The independent component city of Naga is excluded from the 3rd SP district of Camarines Sur, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^e The highly urbanized city of Mandaue is included in the 6th SP district and the 6th congressional district of Cebu, despite being an independent city.

^f The independent component city of Santiago is excluded from the 4th SP district of Isabela, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^g The highly urbanized city of Tacloban is excluded from the 1st SP district of Leyte, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^h The independent component city of Ormoc is excluded from the 4th SP district of Leyte, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^i The independent component city of Cotabato is excluded from the 1st SP district of Maguindanao, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^j The highly urbanized city of Puerto Princesa is excluded from the 2nd SP district of Palawan, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^k The highly urbanized city of Angeles is excluded from the 1st SP district of Pampanga, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^l The independent component city of Dagupan is excluded from the 4th SP district of Pangasinan, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^m The highly urbanized city of Lucena is included in the 2nd SP district and the 2nd congressional district of Quezon, despite being an independent city.

^n The component city of Antipolo elects two members to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Rizal. One of these two SP members is elected from an area of Antipolo contiguous to the city's 1st congressional district. While this provincial constituency has no formal designation, it serves as a de facto Sangguniang Panlalawigan district of Rizal.

^o The component city of Antipolo elects two members to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Rizal. One of these two SP members is elected from an area of Antipolo contiguous to the city's 2nd congressional district. While this provincial constituency has no formal designation, it serves as a de facto Sangguniang Panlalawigan district of Rizal.

^p The highly urbanized city of General Santos is excluded from the 1st SP district of South Cotabato, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.

^q The highly urbanized city of Olongapo is excluded from the 1st SP district of Zambales, but for the purposes of congressional representation the city is grouped with a portion of that province's congressional representation.