• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday said that changing the Negros Island Region name to Negros Island Siquijor Administrative Region (NISAR) may not be a priority for now.
Stressing that NIR is now a law after it was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Lacson said “what is important right now is how to make NIR functional already.”
Mayor Wilfredo Capundag Jr. of San Juan, Siquijor has pushed to rename NIR to NISAR, stressing that the new region comprises more than just Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, a proposal that got the support of former Negros Occidental Gov. Rafael Coscolluela, also an advocate of the NIR.
Prior to its abolition in 2017 by then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the NIR was also known as Region 18.
“We can consider including Siquijor in the name of the region, but I don’t think that is the priority now. The priority now is the IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations), and how to set up different offices,” Lacson said.
Even more important, he added, is to push for the budget for 2025, noting the national government is now preparing the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
This is the time we can ask for the NIR budget, the governor said.
The proposal to rename the NIR to NISAR has drawn mixed reactions from some local government officials of the newly-created region.
“I don’t have any serious concerns, whatever the name. What is important is we have attained our goal,” Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo said.
Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo said that changing the new region’s name to NISAR “does not really matter,” pointing out that Siquijor has always been referred to as an “isla” by Negros Oriental.
Since the NIR already includes Siquijor, there is no need to appeal to change it to NISAR, Remollo said.
That is not a matter of serious concern, the mayor added.
Coscolluela, who welcomed Capundag’s proposal to rename the NIR to NISAR, also suggested holding the first NIR Regional Development Council meeting in Siquijor, to ensure that Siquijodnons would feel included in the new administrative region.
Both Yulo and Lacson are hopeful that NIR would be fully functional by next year.*
