The second legislative district of Rizal will be divided into three districts in time for the elections under a new law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte signed Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11533 or “An Act Reappropriating the Second Legislative District of the Province of Rizal Into Three Legislative Districts” on March 25, 2021.

Under R.A. 11533, Rizal’s three legislative districts will be in effect in time for the 2022 national and local elections.

The new law states that Rizal’s second district will retain the municipalities of Cardona, Baras, Tanay, Morong, Jala-Jala, Pililla, and Teresa.

It will establish the municipality of San Mateo as the third legislative district and the municipality of Rodriguez as the fourth legislative district of Rizal province.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations within 30 days after the effectivity of the Act.

All laws, rules, and regulations which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

This Act will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

Duterte signed the bill into law after it was approved on third and final reading in the Senate.

Senator Francis Tolentino, the sponsor of the bill, expressed hope that the measure would “help the local government units involved to better respond to the needs of the people and also help facilitate in the long-term rehabilitation and the capacity building efforts of the province following this pandemic”.

He said the qualifications for the reapportionment have been met given that the new second district has a population of 449,103, the new third district has a population of 252,527 while the new fourth district has a population of 369,222.

Under the Constitution, a locality with at least 250,000 residents is entitled to one representative in the House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives passed a similar measure on June 1, 2020. (PNA)