By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — There is no reason for the proposed one-island Negros Region not to materialize, according to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas.
Roxas said all it would take to make the Negros Island officials’ dream is an executive order from President Benigno Aquino III.
Roxas was the main guest in yesterday’s consultation on the proposal at the Social Hall of the provincial capitol building here.
While Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces have many differences, they have more similarities, he said.
“There is no need to pass a law (to realize Negros Region),” Roxas said, citing a DILG Legal Department study. “Only an executive action from the President (is needed).”
He said he asked the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Budget and Management to come up with data on the budgetary requirements of the plan.
“Walang dahilan kung bakit hindi ito maaaring umandar (There is no reason for this not to work),” Roxas said.
One hundred fifty-two Negros Island officials attended yesterday’s consultation: 98 from Occidental and 54 from Oriental.
Roxas said another consultation will be held in Dumaguete City, capital of Negros Oriental, tentatively next month.
Negros officials have been pushing for the plan to merge initiatives on development and disaster preparedness, among others.
Roxas said the proposal will entail the hiring of additional government employees for new branches of national government agencies, and this will need at least P40 million for each agency.
He also said they will ask for copies of minutes of the meetings of Regional Development Councils in Western and Central Visayas to validate the complaint that only a small part of the regions’ budgets is allotted for Negros provinces.
“All points raised (during the consultation) will be included in the recommendation that will be submitted (to the President),” he said.
“Historic” was how Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. called described the consultation. “I call for unity for the good of everyone. It is about time we work together,” he said.
Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, for his part, said he is not against the plan but is only concerned about “how the proposal will improve the quality of life of my people.”/PN
