Moves to increase the membership of representatives in house prior to the 2010 elections are being fast-tracked a news release on the House website says.

The story has met with mixed reactions from some groups but in reality in many places both in Metro Manila and the provinces the news is being watched closely.

Some districts have ten times the normal figure of 250,000 per district with just one congressional representative handling issues concerning the population they are supposed to represent. The constitutoin is seems provides for the number to be fixed by a specific law which is what HB 5943 seems to be trying to do. More from the House Press release with some minor edits belowL

Rep. Raul T. Gonzalez, Jr. (Lone District, Iloilo City) said there is enough time to pass House Bill 5943, which he authored to make the House membership proportionate to the increased population. “It is clear that the 250 members of the House of Representatives no longer satisfy the necessity of popular representation as our population has already reached beyond 90 million, hence the need to increase the membership in the House of Representatives,” said Gonzalez, chair of the House committee on civil service and professional regulation.

Gonzalez also cited Section 5 Article VI of the 1987 Constitution provides “the House of Representatives shall be composed of not more than two hundred and fifty members, unless otherwise fixed by law…” “If true people’s representation in the affairs of the State is to be realized as constitutionally enshrined and mandated, a medium must be provided so that the ideal, or the nearest to the ideal number of representation of the people may be maintained,” said Gonzalez, author of House Bill No. 5943.

Gonzalez said the new members of the lower chamber shall be elected from legislative districts apportioned among the provinces, cities, and the Metropolitan Manila area in accordance with the number of their respective inhabitants. Likewise, Gonzalez said on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio, party list representatives shall also be elected who will represent their registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations. Based on the latest figures of the National Census and Statistics Office (NCSO), there has been a tremendous increase in the country’s population since the 1987 Constitution was passed.

In the House of Representatives Press Release, the move has widespread support in particular from members whose districts are well beyond the 250,000 population per member formula proposed per district. The House of Representatives will speed up the passage of the proposed measure increasing the number of congressmen from 250 to 350 in time for the 2010 national elections. A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

• Source: Public Relations and Information Department
• House to fast track approval of bill increasing House membership
• 12 April 2009
• Writer: Abigail Modino Macabeo, MRS-PRIB

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