The Legislative Districts of Albay are the representations of the province of Albay in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first, second and third congressional districts.
Contents
Catanduanes last formed part of the province's representation in 1946, when it began to elect its own representative as a full-fledged province.
The first district of Albay is among the original representative districts from 1907 which has never changed in territorial coverage, along with Ilocos Norte's first and second, Ilocos Sur's first, and Iloilo's first, districts.
History
Albay, which at the time included the sub-province of Catanduanes, was initially divided into three assembly districts in 1907. The fourth district — consisting of the sub-province of Catanduanes — was created by virtue of Act No. 3617 enacted in 1929, and elected its own representative starting in 1931. When seats for the upper house of the Philippine Legislature were elected from territory-based districts between 1916 and 1935, the province formed part of the sixth senatorial district which elected two out of the 24-member senate.
In the disruption caused by the Second World War, two delegates represented the province (including the sub-province of Catanduanes) in the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic: one was the provincial governor (an ex officio member), while the other was elected through a provincial assembly of KALIBAPI members during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945, the province continued to comprise four districts.
The sub-province of Catanduanes was converted into a regular province by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 687 enacted on September 26, 1945. The fourth district became the lone district of Catanduanes starting in 1946, thereby reducing the Albay's representation to three.
The province was represented in the Interim Batasang Pambansa as part of Region V from 1978 to 1984, and elected three representatives at-large to the Regular Batasang Pambansa in 1984. Albay retained its three congressional districts under the new Constitution which was proclaimed on February 11, 1987, and elected members to the restored House of Representatives starting that same year.