Editing District (section)

===Philippines===
The usage of the term 'district' ({{lang|fil|distrito}}) in the Philippines has similarities to that in the United States.

====[[Legislature|Legislative]]====
=====National=====
{{Main|Legislative districts of the Philippines}}

A constituency with a representative in the lower house of [[Congress of the Philippines|Congress]] is a [[congressional district]].  However, the term [[congressional district]] has become synonymous in local parlance with 'representative district,' because, just like in the US, the word 'congress' ({{lang|fil|konggreso}}) has come to refer specifically to the lower house (the [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|House of Representatives]]).

A legislative district, which has an average population of about 250,000 to 500,000, may be composed of:

(a.) an entire province,
(b.) within a province, a group of municipalities and cities (sometimes even including independent and highly urbanized cities geographically located in the province),
(c.) a single city,
(d.) a group of geographically adjacent independent cities and independent municipalities (currently the only example is the [[Legislative district of Pateros-Taguig|Pateros-Taguig]], or
(e.) a group of [[barangay]]s within a city.

Each province is guaranteed at least one representative to the lower house, even though it may not come close to having the same population as other legislative districts. Only voters within each district are allowed to vote in the election for the member of the House of Representatives from that district.

From 1916 to 1935, the Philippines were divided into 12 senatorial districts, of which 11 elected two members each, for a total of 22 out of the 24 members of the upper house of Congress (the [[Senate of the Philippines|Senate]]). Since 1935 senators have been elected at large.

=====Regional=====
In addition, each congressional district that falls under the jurisdiction of the [[Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao]] (a total of 8) elects three members each to the country's only subnational [[ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly|legislative assembly]].

=====Provincial=====
There are provincial districts for the purpose of electing {{lang|fil|[[Sangguniang Panlalawigan]]}} (Provincial Council) members, which follow the congressional district arrangement, except that independent and highly urbanized cities whose charters prevent them from electing provincial officials are excluded. Also, provinces that comprise a lone congressional district are divided into at least two provincial districts.

=====City=====
There are also city councilor districts for the purpose of electing {{lang|fil|[[Sangguniang Panlungsod]]}} (City Council) members, which follow the congressional district arrangement. In cases where the city does not form two or more congressional districts by itself, it is divided into at least two city council districts.

====[[Administration (government)|Administrative]]====
=====Current=====
Districts exist as administrative entities only in local government, with limited powers or responsibilities. Certain cities, such as [[Manila#Barangays and districts|Manila]], [[Iloilo City#Subdivisions|Iloilo]] and [[Districts of Davao City|Davao]], for administrative purposes, formally divide their jurisdictions into city districts composed of several [[barangay]]s, but the extent of these district-level administrative powers vary. Several barangays (the lowest level of government) also have the word 'district' in their names – examples are those in [[Jala-jala]] and [[Zamboanga City]]. However, this is solely for the purpose of nomenclature, and does not imply a higher level of local government.

=====Historical=====
During Spanish and early American colonial rule, certain areas of the Philippines were designated as 'districts,' mainly those that had not been formally organized into provinces or incorporated into existing ones.
In the American era, cities and municipalities were divided into city and municipal districts, which served as the lowest level of government before the creation of the {{lang|fil|[[barangay]]}}.

====Special-purpose districts====
Special-purpose districts also exist in the Philippines, created for government departments and agencies. Examples are school districts for the [[Department of Education (Philippines)|Department of Education]] (DepEd), engineering districts for the [[Department of Public Works and Highways]] (DPWH), and [https://web.archive.org/web/20070902123617/http://www.coastguard.gov.ph/content/?page_id=14 coast guard districts] for the [[Philippine Coast Guard]] (PCG).

====Informal districts====
Some cities and municipalities also extend the usage of the word 'district' to refer to certain areas, even without having any formal administrative purposes. Examples are the central business districts in [[Naga, Camarines Sur]], and [[Makati]].