BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson raised several questions regarding the proposal to create two sub-regions for Negros, pending the passage of a bill that would reestablish the Negros Island Region (NIR).
On Nov 18, Bacolod City mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez floated the idea of setting up two sub-regions.
He described the proposal as “the fastest way to move forward is the creation of Region 6A for Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, and Region 7A for Negros Oriental and Siquijor.”
The city mayor said the proposal would force all national offices to set up their respective satellite offices in the two sub-regions.
The mayor, who also chairs the Regional Development Council in Western Visayas, said that it’s a win-win solution.
However, Lacson raised several questions, such as whether Negros will have its own Regional Development Council, and what would be the rank of the government personnel who will be manning the offices.
“If we are a sub-region, how [would] it function?” he asked.
Lacson said the proposal is a “good development” as the departments in Negros won’t have to depend anymore on the regional offices in Iloilo City.
However, he pointed out that what they and the Negrense lawmakers really want is fully reestablishing the NIR.
“Just like what we had. We were functioning as a region here in Negros island,” the governor said.
The NIR was first established through an executive order on May 29, 2015, issued by the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
However, former president Rodrigo Duterte abolished the region on August 7, 2017, pointing out that maintaining the region would cost the national government an estimated P19 billion.
Since then, lawmakers in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor have either authored or co-sponsored bills seeking the reestablishment of the NIR.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also filed a counterpart bill before the senate, also seeking to reestablish the NIR./PN
