Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said he supports the move to create the Negros Island Region.
Gatchalian, who was in Victorias City on Wednesday, October 5, said based on his talks with people in Negros they want to have to their own region so they do not have to go to Iloilo for administrative matters.
The senator said before the new region is created they have to make sure there are offices for the national government agencies.
This needs to be thoroughly studied to determine if there are funds for infrastructure, he said.
“But in principle I agree” that the NIR should be created, he said.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier said that the Senate will approve the NIR bill in December.
The House of Representatives approved its bill seeking the creation of the NIR composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor in March, and the passage of a counterpart measure in the Senate is needed.
All of the congressmen and governors of the three provinces support the creation of the NIR.
The measure will then be submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which hopefully he will sign into law, Zubiri said.
Negros Occidental is currently under Western Visayas with regional offices in Iloilo, and Negros Oriental and Siquijor are under Central Visayas with regional offices in Cebu.*