Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito pushed for the swift passage of the consolidated bill creating the Negros Island Region (NIR) in his sponsorship speech on the Senate plenary floor, Wednesday, Dec. 6.
Ejercito, Senate Committee on Local Government chair, told his colleagues he was sponsoring Senate Bill No. 2507 that is three decades in the making and stands to benefit Negrenses and Siqiuijodnons.
Senate Bill No. 2507 that will establish the NIR is in substitution of five bills authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and senators Win Gatchalian, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Manuel ”Lito” Lapid.
Ejercito told DIGICAST NEGROS plenary debates will be held before the passage of the bill on second and third reading in the Senate.
Senate Bill No. 2507 will create the NIR composed of Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, Ejercito said.
To ensure the effective delivery of services, six clusters of regional offices will be divided between the two halves of Negros Island, he said.
Negros Occidental will house the clusters for agriculture and land-related agencies, peace and order and security, and governance, while Negros Oriental will house the clusters on human development, infrastructure, and industry and labor, he said.
Upon the enactment of this bill, a technical working group (TWG) will be constituted for the transition process.
It will include the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Budget Management and Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the representatives for the governors and all elected members of the House of Representatives from the three provinces, Ejercito said.
Ejercito, citing the tale of two regions, told his colleagues Negros Island is not only split into two provinces but also two administrative regions.
Negros Occidental belongs to Western Visayas and Negros Oriental to Central Visayas.
The administrative division of Negros Island has not been conducive to regional development. Efforts to reunify the island have been ongoing since the time of governors Rafael Coscolluela and the late Emilio Macias, he said.
The current governors of the three provinces have expressed their full support for the NIR, he pointed out.
“This measure seeks to end this tale of two regions, and bring government closer to the people of Negros and Siquijor,” he said.*