DATING BACK to the time when the 1987 Constitution was ratified and took effect, the province of Bataan has been apportioned two (2) seats in the House of Representatives, with the First District composed of the municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay and Morong, and the Second District composed of the city of Balanga and the municipalities of Pilar, Orion, Limay, Mariveles and Bagac.
Three decades thereafter, not only has its population grown but remarkable growth in economic activity has also been recorded. According to the 2015 census, the population of the Bataan is 760,650. Based on the 250,000-population benchmark which was used for the 1986 apportionment of legislative districts and as prescribed in Section 5 Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, the province of Bataan should be entitled to a third legislative district.
Bataan is politically subdivided into 11 municipalities, 237 barangays and one component city, Balanga as its provincial capital. Hence, Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III, 2D-Bataan, filed House Bill No. 0199 proposing the creation of an additional congressional district to be composed of the municipalities of Mariveles, Limay and Orion, which will have a combined projected population of 251,609. Conformably with the proposed reapportionment, the First District shall be composed of the municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani and Morong, with a projected population of 269,043, while the Second District shall be composed of the city of Balanga and the municipalities of Samal, Abucay, Pilar and Bagac, with a projected population of 239,998.
Aside from the population factor, the three legislative districts proposed to comprise the province of Bataan share common and distinct interests which need to be encouraged and promoted through separate representations in the legislature.
The municipalities proposed to comprise the First District namely Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani and Morong shall serve as the province’s gateway to the neighboring provinces that will induce and foster economic activity in Central Luzon.
The city of Balanga and the municipalities of Samal, Abucay, Pilar, and Bagac shall be forwarded as the government and tourism hub of the province which features historical landmarks, pristine beaches and resorts and the inaugural provincial government center one stop shop. There is now a heavy concentration of commercial and industrial activity in the three municipalities proposed to comprise the Third District.
Mariveles hosts the freeport area of Bataan which, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), has posted the highest growth rate among the country’s investment promotion agencies which include SBMA, Clark, PEZA, CEZA, and BOI. Limay is the site of the country’s largest oil refinery and the once exclusive Petrochemical Industrial Zone which has since been opened to diverse businesses and industries. Orion currently experiences a spill-over of investors and locators from the adjoining town of Limay.
The municipalities of Mariveles and Orion are also closely linked to Metro Manila with the emergence of a fast, effective, and efficient integrated transport (ferry and bus) system which provides easier access to promote further industrial development and decreases the travel time of passengers and goods from Manila to the province of Bataan vice versa by at least two hours.
Bataan is a location of bulk power generation, where most of the power generated is sent to the Luzon Grid. Most power plants in Bataan rely on fossil fuels, like oil and coal, but renewable energy sources, primarily solar power, form part of the total generation.
The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, with a design 600 MW capacity, was supposed to be the first nuclear power plant in the Philippines. It was supposed to commence operation in 1986, but was mothballed amidst critical opposition to the Marcos regime and concerns on nuclear power. There is some discussion of either rehabilitating the plant, which would likely be uneconomical, or constructing a new nuclear power station.