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BY JOHNNY NOVERA
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New island region: Back to square one?
WE HAVE learned that the new Negros Island Region (NIR) failed to have a separate budget approved under the present Congress. It appears that its budget was still lumped with that of Western Visayas Region where it formerly belonged.
If this is true and it cannot be corrected, what will happen? We believe that there will be no choice but for Negros Occ. to return to Region 6 and rejoin the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras so it can operate on the approved budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
In the creation of the new region, we remember that it was done by Executive Order through the strong recommendation to the President by then Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, contrary to the views of other government leaders, including that of former Budget secretary Florencio âButchâ Abad who believed that the cost of funding the new province could better be used for some other purpose.
The reason was that there were sectors which were openly opposed to the idea at the very beginning because of issues that were not properly addressed before our former President Noynoy Aquino III issued his executive order.
For example, our Constitution provides that a region must have a regional language of its own that will serve as auxiliary medium of instruction among its constituents.
People in Negros Occidental speak Hiligaynon since the early settlers in Negros were Ilonggos who were responsible for originally clearing the wilderness of Negros and making them productive sugar farms that it is today, as early as the turn of the century.
On the other hand, people in Negros Oriental use the Cebuano tongue which indicates that they descended from a different stock. There is the question of what common language to use among the inhabitants of the new region.
Well, it is good that there is a suspension of the New Negros Island Region plan so that the proposal could at least be supported first by a feasibility study by the National Economic Development Authority or NEDA and obtain its recommendation to determine, after hearing all sectors, if creating a new region will be to the best interest of the regions affected and the country.
It appears that we are back to Square One on this creation of a new island region in the Visayas. But as we have said, nothing is better than a good study and passing it through a congressional act, to hear all issues first to determine if creating a new region will indeed be beneficial to our country and people, and so be it! (For comments or reactions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
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