• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The creation of Negros Island Region is closer to reality after it was unanimously approved yesterday by the Philippine Senate on its third and final reading, during its plenary session.
Twenty-two senators voted for the approval of Senate Bill No. 2507, otherwise known as An Act of Establishing Negros Island Region, with zero opposition nor abstention, said one of its primary authors, Senator JV Ejercito.
The proposed Negros Island Region (NIR) will be composed of the provinces of Negros Occidental, which belongs to Region 6, as well as Negros Oriental and Siquijor, which are under Region 7.
Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri, who principally authored the bill, described it as a historic measure.
Once the NIR is enacted into law, it will further boost development on Negros Island and Siquijor, and ease the burden of the people in dealing with national government agencies.
“The people of Negros have been waiting for this for a long time,” disclosed Zubiri, who has Negrense roots through his father, who was born in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
“The current administrative division of the island has always posed a problem to its residents, who are forced to travel all the way to either Cebu or Iloilo in order to reach our regional government offices,” he stressed.
Negros Occidental presently belongs to Region VI while Negros Oriental and Siquijor are under Region VII, which has their regional centers in Iloilo and Cebu, respectively.
“It is hard to deliver people-centered governance under this set-up. We have to make our government services as accessible as possible,”Zubiri said.
Under the NIR Act, regional offices will be split between Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, creating new growth areas in the region, Zubiri said.
With the passage of the measure, Ejercito, who also chairs the Senate Local Government committee, said “NIR is one step nearer to reality.”
“The idea for this bill was first planted three decades ago. With the approval of this chamber today, it will soon bear fruit.” Ejercito said.
Ejercito, whose mother hails from Bacolod City, said the goal is for the six clusters of regional offices to be divided between the two halves of the island, to ensure the effective delivery of services.
“I am hopeful that President Marcos sees the need for a united NIR, which is our way of bringing our services straight to our people. It is certain to improve the ease of doing business in the region, which will both empower our residents and also raise the confidence of investors in our capacity to facilitate efficient government transactions,” he stressed.
As the administrative division of Negros Island has not been conducive to regional development, he said the NIR law will strengthen local autonomy and accelerate the economic, cultural, and social development of the region.
He also thanked his Senate colleagues for their support, “especially our Negrense-in-Chief, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, for putting momentum behind this bill.”
“Hindi lang siya sweet talker, consensus-builder rin (He is not just a sweet talker, he is also a consensus builder).” Ejercito stressed.
Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, who co-authored the NIR bill in the House of Representatives, described its passage as a monumental step forward.
Thanking all the senators for their unwavering support, especially Ejercito and Zubiri, Benitez said “this is a great milestone for all Negrenses in our dream for a united and prosperous Negros.”
In a meeting, September last year in Manila, Ejercito recalled that he and Zubiri, Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Negros Oriental Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria, and Siquijor Gov. Jake Villa, already expressed their full support for the NIR bill.
The three governors cited inefficiency and red tape as the main reason for seeking a united Negros Island.
In 2015, the NIR was established through Executive Order No. 183, but was later abolished in 2017 through Executive Order No. 38.
The bill, authored by all Negros Island and Siquijor solons, is expected to be tackled by the Congress bicameral committee before its submission to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for signing into law.
Negros Occidental acting Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, who served as the personal adviser of President Marcos Jr. for Western Visayas, said he has been pushing for the creation of NIR and Panay Guimaras Negros bridge with PBBM.
Last year, both provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental had already agreed upon the list of where government agencies and offices should be located in which province, with Siquijor’s agreement.*
