Negros Island Region bill gets House panel approval

The House of Representatives local government committee has approved several bills establishing the Negros Island region this week, Representative Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela City said.

Under the measure, the Negros Island region will be composed of provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays in Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and the island province of Siquijor.

Siquijor’s inclusion is logical and practical due to its proximity and cultural similarities to Negros Island, the authors of the bill said.

At present, Negros Occidental province and its capital Bacolod City are under Western Visayas or Region 6, while Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces are part of Central Visayas or Region 7.

“We assure our Negrense brothers and sisters that this Committee will continue to fully support this measure until its final approval in the House,” Gatchalian, head of the committee, said.

The authors of the consolidated bill include Negros Occidental Reps. Juliet Marie de Leon Ferrer, Alfredo Marañon, Gerardo Valmayor, Jr.. Emilio Bernardino Yulo, Mercedes Alvarez and Jose Francisco Benitez; Greg Gasataya of Bacolod city and Joseph Stephen Paduano of ABANG LINGKOD party-list.

In a report to the committee, Alvarez said the consolidated bill has the full backing of the business sector, which includes the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“The business sector has issued a strong manifestation for the legislation of the NIR, not just as a measure to provide a sense of permanency, but also to ensure the continued development of the NIR,” she said.

The late President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order 183 creating Negros Island region in May 29, 2015, separating Negros Occidental from Western Visayas, and Negros Oriental from Central Visayas.

But his successor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, abolished the region by issuing Executive Order 38 on August 7, 2017 “to ensure that priority government programs and projects are sufficiently funded.”—LDF, GMA Integrated News