Oriental Mindoro is urging its lawmakers at the House of Representatives to push for the passage of a bill seeking the creation of a new congressional district in the province.

Vice-Governor Humerlito A. Dolor said the creation of a third district was needed for a better representation of Oriental Mindoro in the lower chamber.

Representative Rodolfo Valencia (First District) on May 5 filed House Bill 04570, which seeks to carve out a new congressional district from the province’s first district. The proposed legislation had its first reading on May 11.

“Sa pagkakaroon ng isa pang distritong panlehislatura, magkakaroon nang mas malakas na boses ang lalawigan ng Silangang Mindoro sa Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan,” said Dolor.

“Ganun din sa SP na madaragdagan ang mga kinatawan na magsasalita ng mga adhikain at hangarin ng ating mga mamamayan,” he said in a resolution filed before the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Board.

How the division would go would be up to Valencia and Representative Rey Umali of the Second District, Dolor said.

But the Vice Governor said he actually preferred an equal division of towns per district. Oriental Mindoro has 14 towns and one city.

Another option, he said, is to make the province’s population as the basis for division. Based on the projection of the National Statistics Office, Oriental Mindoro will have a total population of 767,445 by 2011. The Constitution requires a population of at least 250,000 per district.

A largely agricultural province, Oriental Mindoro has a total land area of 4,364.72 square kilometers.