Batanes Provincial Board

The Batanes Provincial Board is the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislature) of the Philippine province of Batanes.

Batanes Provincial Board Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Batanes
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	3 terms (9 years)
Leadership
Presiding Officer	Jonathan Enrique V. Nanud Jr., PFP since June 30, 2025
Structure
Seats	12 board members 1 ex officio presiding officer
Political groups	Liberal (4)   PFP (3)   NPC (1)   Independent (1)   Nonpartisan (2)   Vacancy (1)
Length of term	3 years
Authority	Local Government Code of the Philippines
Elections
Voting system	Plurality-at-large (regular members) Indirect election (ex officio members) Acclamation (sectoral member)
Last election	May 12, 2025
Next election	May 8, 2028
Meeting place
Batanes Provincial Capitol, Basco

Most of its members are elected via plurality-at-large voting: the province is divided into two districts, with the first having five seats and the second having three seats. A voter votes up to five names in the first district and up to three names in the second district; the top candidates are then elected to fill the seats assigned to each district. The vice governor is the ex officio presiding officer, and only votes to break ties. The vice governor is elected via the plurality voting system province-wide.

Aside from the regular members, the board also includes the provincial federation presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangay (ABC, from its old name "Association of Barangay Captains"), the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK, youth councils) and the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) as ex officio members. They join the board once they are elected as president of their respective league or federation shortly after the start of their terms following the regular local elections (in the case of PCL) or the barangay and SK elections (in the case of ABC and SK).

In addition, the province's indigenous peoples community sends to the board a sectoral member, the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR), in accordance with national guidelines set by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples pursuant to Republic Act No. 8371, as well as with local guidelines agreed upon by the IP community.^[1]

District apportionment

The districts used in the appropriation of members is not coextensive with the Batanes's at-large congressional district. Unlike congressional representation which is at-large, Batanes is divided into two districts for representation in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, with the capital Basco and neighboring Mahatao constituting the first district, and the rest of the towns (Itbayat, Ivana, Sabtang, and Uyugan) forming the second district.

In 2025, the first district gained two additional seats after the Department of Finance upgraded the province's income classification to 4th class, from 5th class.^[2]

Elections	No. of seats per district		Ex officio seats	Reserved seats	Total seats
	1st	2nd
2004–2025	3	3	3	1	10
2025–present	5	3	3	1	12

List of members

Current members

These are the members after the 2023 barangay and SK elections and the 2025 local elections.

The names of regular members are listed in order of their rank in the local election in their respective district.

• Vice Governor: Jonathan Enrique V. Nanud Jr. (PFP) – Presiding Officer

Seat	Board member		Party	Term number	Start of term	End of term
1st district		Roel Nicolas	Liberal	2	June 30, 2022	June 30, 2028
		Anastacia Viola	Liberal	2	June 30, 2022	June 30, 2028
		Josephine Castillo	PFP	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
		Benny Fajardo	Liberal	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
		John Dave Ablat	PFP	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
2nd district		Leonardo Hostallero	PFP	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
		Cleo Gonzales	Independent	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
		Francis Byron Peralta	NPC	2	June 30, 2022	June 30, 2028
ABC		Bernardo Mernelo[3]	Nonpartisan	1	January 13, 2024	January 1, 2026
PCL		Francisco Castillo[a]	Liberal	1	September 9, 2022	June 30, 2028
SK		Vacant[b]	Nonpartisan	–	[to be determined]	January 1, 2026
IPMR		Vicenta Hidalgo	Nonpartisan	1	[to be determined]	[to be determined]

1. Serving in a holdover capacity (due to his reelection as councilor) until the election of a new set of officers of the province's Philippine Councilors League.
2. Vacated by John Dave Ablat upon election as regular member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Past members

Vice Governor

Election year	Name	Party
1992[4]	Edmundo Puño		Liberal/PDP–Laban
1995	Elena Alcantara		Lakas–NUCD
1998	Constante Castillejos		LAMMP
2001			Liberal
2004
2007	William Agsunod		Lakas
2010	Ferdinand Elica		Lakas–Kampi
2013	Ronald Aguto		Independent
2016			UNA
2019	Ignacio Villa		Liberal
2022
2025	Jonathan Enriquez V. Nanud Jr.		PFP

1st District

• Municipalities: Basco, Mahatao
• Population (2020): 11,220

Election year	Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)
1992[4]		Severino Hernandez (LDP)		Agustin Raterta (Liberal)		Catalina Joves (LDP)
1995		Alexander Argonza (Lakas–NUCD)		Valerio Tabut (Liberal)		Catalina Joves (Lakas–NUCD)
1998				Manuel Viola (Liberal)		Tomas Estamo, Jr. (Liberal)
2001				Amada Fabi (Liberal)		Efren Lizardo (Lakas–NUCD)
2004		Ferdinand Elica (Liberal)				Orlando Hontomin (Liberal)
2007		Ferdinand Elica (Lakas)		Alexander Argonza (Lakas)		Albert Calagui (Lakas)
2010		Flinton Abad (Liberal)				Florante Castillo (Liberal)
2013		Efren Lizardo (Independent)		Alexander Argonza (Independent)
2016		Evelyn Maduro (Liberal)		Edmundo Puño (NPC)		Juan Redondo (UNA)
2019				Ferdinand Elica (NPC)		Juan Redondo (NPC)
2022		Roel Nicolas (Liberal)		Anastacia Viola (Liberal)

2nd District

• Municipalities: Itbayat, Ivana, Sabtang, Uyugan
• Population (2020): 7,611

Election year	Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)
1992[4]		Redencion Castaño (Independent/LDP)		Augustus Cataluña (LP/PDP)		Nestor Capito (LP/PDP)
1995		Rosario Batin (Liberal)		Augustus Cataluña (Liberal)		Charles Ibañes I (Lakas–NUCD)
1998		Victorio Balbao (Liberal)		Migdonio Faberes (Liberal)		Charles Ibañes I (Liberal)
2001		Milagros Juliet Abas (Lakas–NUCD)		Ronald Aguto (Liberal)
2004		Milagros Juliet Abas (Liberal)		Romulo Cielo (Liberal)		Ignacio Villa (Liberal)
2007		Milagros Juliet Abas (Lakas)		Rogelio Delapa (Lakas)
2010		Ramoncito Imperial (Liberal)		Rogelio Delapa (Nacionalista)		Ignacio Villa (Nacionalista)
2013		Milagros Juliet Abas (Independent)		Rogelio Delapa (Liberal)		Juliet Cataluña (Liberal)
2016		Milagros Juliet Abas (UNA)		Maxilindo Emilio Babalo (Liberal)		Ignacio Villa (Liberal)
2019		Milagros Juliet Abas (NPC)		Romeo Acebes (Liberal)		Juliet Cataluña (Liberal)
2022		Francis Byron Peralta (Lakas)		Wilfredo Cabitac (PDR)

Liga ng mga Barangay member

Election year	ABC/LB President	Barangay Captain of
2018	Benigno Cobico[5]	Bgy. Kayhuvokan, Basco

Philippine Councilors League member

Election year	PCL President		Councilor in
2019		Will Lee Gabotero[5] (Liberal)	Basco
2022		Francisco Castillo (Liberal)	Basco

Sangguniang Kabataan member

Election year	SK President	SK Chairperson of
2018	Argel Hortiz[5]	Bgy. Kayuganan (Pob.), Uyugan
2023	John Dave Ablat*	Bgy. Uyoy, Mahatao

* Left office on June 30, 2025 upon his assumption as elected regular member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative

Year	IP Representative
[to be determined]	Vicenta Hidalgo