• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The three governors of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor island province yesterday had a meeting to discuss the proposed Negros Island Region, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri disclosed in his Facebook account.
Aside from Zubiri, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo and Senator Juan Victor Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on Local Government also joined the meeting between Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria, and Vice Gov. Jaime Reyes, while Siquijor Gov. Jake Villa also participated in via Zoom.
Zubiri said that the NIR bill aims to bring government services closer to its people, under one administrative region.
There will be no need to travel either in Iloilo or Cebu to avail of government services, he added.
Following its approval by the House of Representatives, the proposed NIR bill is now being deliberated by the Senate committee on Local Government, chaired by Ejercito, whose mother, Guia, has roots in Negros Occidental.
The father of Zubiri, Jose Sr., is also a native of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
Lacson said that December is the target date for its approval at the Senate, which was also assured earlier by Zubiri.*
