MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law that divides the second legislative district of Rizal province into three new districts that are hoped to better respond to the needs of residents and facilitate long-term recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11533 which splits the second district into three, “to take effect in the 2022 national and local elections.”

“Each district shall be composed of the following municipalities,” under the law.

SECOND LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

• Cardona
• Baras
• Tanay
• Morong
• Jala-jala
• Pililia
• Teresa

THIRD LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

• San Mateo

FOURTH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

• Rodriguez

The law, signed last March 25, directs the Commission on Elections to “issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations” within 30 days of the measure’s effectivity.

The Senate in February approved the bill reapportioning the second district of Rizal into three legislative districts.

The move aims to “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,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Francis "Tol" Tolentino.

Rizal is home to about 2.9 million people, 2015 government data showed.

The new second district has a population of 449,103, the third district 252,527 people, and the fourth district is home to 369,222, said Tolentino, chair of the Senate local government committee.

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

The House of Representatives passed the same measure on June 1, 2020.

Rizal is under the third strictest of four lockdown levels until the end of April to curb a surge in COVID-19 infections.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv