Catanduanes Provincial Board

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

Catanduanes Provincial Board Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Catanduanes
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	3 terms (9 years)
Leadership
Presiding Officer	Robert Fernandez, Lakas-CMD since June 30, 2025
Structure
Seats	13 board members 1 ex officio presiding officer
Political groups	Lakas (7)   NPC (3)   Nonpartisan (1)   Vacancy (2)
Length of term	3 years
Authority	Local Government Code of the Philippines
Elections
Voting system	Multiple non-transferable vote (regular members) Indirect election (ex officio members)
Last election	May 12, 2025
Next election	May 8, 2028
Meeting place
Catanduanes Provincial Capitol, Virac

The members are elected via plurality-at-large voting: the province is divided into two districts, each having five seats. A voter votes up to five names, with the top five candidates per district being elected. 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).

District apportionment

The districts used in appropriation of members is not coextensive with the legislative district of Catanduanes; unlike congressional representation which is at-large, Catanduanes is divided into two districts for representation in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

The first district includes the western side of the province, encompassing the capital, Virac, as well as the municipalities of Caramoran and San Andres. The second district comprises the eastern municipalities of Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, Gigmoto, Pandan, Panganiban, San Miguel, and Viga.

In 2025, both districts gained 1 additional seat each after the Department of Finance upgraded the province's income classification to 2nd class, from 3rd class.^[1]

Elections	Seats per district		Ex officio seats	Total seats
	1st	2nd
1992–1998	3	3	3	9
1998–2025	4	4	3	11
2025–present	5	5	3	13

List of members

Current members

These are the members after the 2023 barangay and SK elections and the 2025 local elections.^[2]

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

• Vice Governor: Robert Fernandez (Lakas)

Seat	Board member		Party	Term number	Start of term	End of term
1st district		Santos Zafe	Lakas	3	June 30, 2019	June 30, 2028
		Fred Benedict Gianan	Lakas	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
		Jose Romeo Francisco	Lakas	2	June 30, 2022	June 30, 2028
		Xyrell Albaniel	Lakas	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
		Giovanni Balmadrid	NPC	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
2nd district		Edwin Tanael	Lakas	3	June 30, 2019	June 30, 2028
		Lorenzo Templonuevo, Jr.	NPC	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
		Josevan Balidoy	Lakas	2	June 30, 2022	June 30, 2028
		Dean Roberto Vergara	Lakas	2	June 30, 2022	June 30, 2028
		Arnel Turado	NPC	1	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2028
ABC		Tito Villamor[3]	Nonpartisan	1	January 12, 2024	January 1, 2026
PCL	Vacant[a]
SK		Vacant[b]	Nonpartisan	–	TBD	TBD

1. Vacant pending the election of a new set of officers of the province's Philippine Councilors League.
2. Vacated by Fred Benedict Gianan upon election as regular member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Vice Governor

Election year	Name	Party
1992[4]	Severo Alcantara		NPC
1995	Teofisto Verceles		Lakas
1998	Alfred Aquino		Lakas
2001	Cesar Sarmiento		Reporma
2004	Vincent Villaluna		Independent
2007	Alfred Aquino		NPC
2010	Jose Teves Jr.		Lakas
2013
2016	Shirley Abundo		NPC
2019			PFP
2022	Peter Cua		PDP–Laban
2025	Robert Fernandez		Lakas

1st District

• Municipalities: Caramoran, San Andres, Virac
• Population (2020): 147,114

Election year	Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)
1992[4]		Alfred Aquino (LDP)		Fredeswindo Gianan (LDP)		Jesus Tacorda (PDP-Laban)	–		–
1995				Catalino Gabao, Jr. (NPC)		Evelyn Lucero-Gutierrez (LP)	–		–
1998		Rafael Zuniega (Lakas-NUCD)		Catalino Gabao, Jr. (Lakas-NUCD)		Evelyn Lucero-Gutierrez (Lakas-NUCD)		Fredeswindo Gianan (Lakas-NUCD)	–
2001		Rafael Zuniega (Aksyon)		Natalio Popa, Jr. (Independent)		Angeles Tablizo, Jr. (Reporma)		Fredeswindo Gianan (Aksyon)	–
2004		Rafael Zuniega (Reporma)		Shirley Abundo (Lakas)		Rosemarie Zafe (Kampi)		Fredeswindo Gianan, Jr. (NPC)	–
2007		Nel Asanza (NPC)				Ariel Molina (NPC)		Natalio Popa, Jr. (Lakas)	–
2010		Nel Asanza (Independent)				Rafael Zuniega (Nacionalista)		Jose Romeo Francisco (NPC)	–
2013				Jorge Reyes (Liberal)		Giovanni Balmadrid (Liberal)		Jose Romeo Francisco (Liberal)	–
2016		Rafael Zuniega (UNA)		Natalio Popa, Jr. (Independent)		Giovanni Balmadrid (NPC)		Jose Romeo Francisco (NPC)	–
2019				Natalio Popa, Jr. (PFP)				Santos Zafe (PDP–Laban)	–
2022		Rafael Zuniega (NPC)		Jan Ferdinand Alberto (Independent)		Jose Romeo Francisco (Lakas)		Santos Zafe (Lakas)	–
2025		Xyrell Albaniel (Lakas)		Fred Benedict Gianan (Lakas)						Giovanni Balmadrid (NPC)

2nd District

• Municipalities: Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, Gigmoto, Pandan, Panganiban, San Miguel, Viga
• Population (2020): 124,765

Election year	Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)		Member (party)
1992[4]		Carlos Aguilar (Lakas–NUCD)		Lilia Evangelista (Lakas–NUCD)		Francisco de los Santos (LDP)	–		–
1995						Edwin Tanael (Independent)	–		–
1998						Edwin Tanael (Reporma)		Edgar Tapel (Lakas–NUCD)	–
2001		Julieto Barceta (Reporma)		Romeo Tuplano (Lakas)				Pio Tubalinal (Lakas–NUCD)	–
2004		Rene Vega (NPC)				Roger Pereyra (Lakas)		Edgar Tapel (Reporma)	–
2007		Edwin Tanael (Lakas)						Francisco Camano, Jr. (NPC)	–
2010		Edwin Tanael (Nacionalista)		Wilfredo Santelices (Nacionalista)		Roger Pereyra (Nacionalista)		Marilyn Tatel (NPC)	–
2013		Edwin Tanael (UNA)		Lorenzo Templonuevo, Jr. (NPC)		Arnel Turado (Lakas)		Marilyn Tatel (Liberal)	–
2016		Vincent Villaluna (NPC)				Arnel Turado (NPC)		Joseph Al Randie Wong (Liberal)	–
2019		Edwin Tanael (Independent)						Robert Fernandez (UNA)	–
2022		Edwin Tanael (Lakas)		Josevan Balidoy (PDP–Laban)		Dean Roberto Vergara (Lakas)		Robert Fernandez (PDR)	–
2025				Josevan Balidoy (Lakas)				Lorenzo Templonuevo, Jr. (NPC)		Arnel Turado (NPC)

Liga ng mga Barangay member

Election year	ABC/LB President	Barangay Captain of
2018	Carlomagno Guerrero I	Bgy. Buenavista, Viga
2023*	Tito Villamor	Bgy. Santa Maria, Panganiban

*Took office in 2024

Philippine Councilors League member

Election year	PCL President		Councilor in
2019		Alan del Valle (UNA)	San Andres
2022		Joselito Alberto (NPC)	Bato
2025		(TBD)

Sangguniang Kabataan member

Election year	SK President	SK Chairperson of
2018	Camille Qua	Bgy. Belmonte, San Andres
2023*	Fred Benedict Gianan	Bgy. Calatagan Proper, Virac

*Took office in 2024