Cagayan moves toward major political shift with plan to expand from three to five legislative districts

Cagayan, Philippines – Citing the need for stronger representation as the population continues to grow, the 12th Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Cagayan has unanimously supported an earlier proposal to reconfigure the province into five legislative districts.

Presided over by Vice Governor Manuel Mamba, the Provincial Board convened on February 16, 2026, to deliberate on the resolution supporting the initiative of Governor Edgar Aglipay to conduct public hearings and pursue appropriate legislative action on the proposed reconfiguration.

After thorough discussions, the august body voted in favor of the resolution.

According to the Cagayan Public Information Office (CPIO), First District Board Member Atty. Romeo Garcia emphasized that creating additional legislative districts would promote more efficient governance and improve public service delivery.

“Members of the committee expressed strong support for the initiative, recognizing that legislative representation must evolve alongside the growth and development of our province. In short, our position is clear: we support reapportionment,” Garcia was quoted as saying.

Proposed reorganization of the province’s 29 municipalities and one city, according to the CPIO:

1st District: Alcala, Amulung, Baggao, and Gattaran.

2nd District: Abulug, Allacapan, Ballesteros, Claveria, Lasam, Pamplona, Sanchez Mira, and Sta. Praxedes.

3rd District: Iguig, Peñablanca, and Tuguegarao City.

4th District: Aparri, Buguey, Camalaniugan, Gonzaga, Lallo, Sta. Ana, and Sta. Teresita.

5th District: Enrile, Piat, Rizal, Solana, Sto. Niño, Tuao, and Calayan.

With the resolution now approved, the CPIO said the matter will move to Congress, which has the sole authority under the 1987 Philippine Constitution to create legislative districts.

Cagayan is one of the largest provinces in Northern Luzon in terms of land area and population. Based on the 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the province has over 1.2 million residents.

The province is the second most populous in Region 2, next to Isabela, which has over 1.4 million people. The census results were released in July 2025.

Currently, Cagayan has three congressional districts.