Poe backs creation of separate Samar region

Sen. Grace Poe backed the creation of a Samar Island region to accelerate economic development and improve the delivery of public services in the Samar provinces.

Her proposed new region will be composed of the provinces of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar which are now part of Eastern Visayas Region or Region VIII. 

As a separate region, Samar enjoy independence in regional planning and management. The provinces can pool their resources and will have control of the income for the benefit of the local residents.

Proposals to create a separate region for Samar have surfaced following the creation of a Negros Island Region, the country’s 18th region, through an executive order signed by President Benigno Aquino III in May 2015.

Based on the 2012 Poverty Statistics, the three Samar provinces are listed among the 15 poorest provinces in the country.

Eastern Samar has a 55.4 percent poverty incidence, the second highest in the Philippines.

Poe was in Calbayog City to campaign for the presidency on Thursday. — APG, GMA News