Negros ACE secretary general – Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante and president – Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez turn over their resolution of support for an expanded NIR to Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer (l-r).*CPG photo
The Negros Association of Chief Executives Inc. has unanimously passed a resolution supporting bills filed in the House of Representatives seeking the creation of the expanded Negros Island Region (NIR).
The resolution was turned over by Negros ACE president – Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez and secretary general – Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante to Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer during the swearing-in ceremony of the association’s officers at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday, July 27.
Lacson said “this is another support for our dream to have our own region in Negros Island. I thank the Negros Ace for coming up with this resolution.”
Benitez said the chief executives support the creation of the expanded NIR, composed of Negros Occidental and Oriental and Siquijor, initially through an executive order issued by the president and eventually through a law.
Under an expanded NIR regional government offices will be more accessible to the people bringing governance closer to the grass roots and communities producing boon ripple effects on peace and order, economic growth and social development, the Negros ACE resolution said.
Greater economic coordination will strengthen economics of scale in the two Negros provinces and Siquijor, and will consolidate separate development plans into a coherent, complementary roadmap for sustainable and inclusive economic growth, it added.
In 2015 the NIR was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 183 issued by then President Benigno Aquino III and was revoked by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017.
The vision of a united Negros had its long and arduous journey tracing back from the establishment of the first unified “Canton Republic of Negros” by two Negrense generals a century ago, the Negros ACE resolution said.
The re-establishment of the NIR with Siquijor is necessary for faster coordination and implementation of public programs, projects, and initiatives, it said.
An administrative region enjoys a degree of independence in planning, management, and administration resulting to convenience in doing business between the provinces and efficient utilization of the available resources, it pointed out.
House Bill 1446 that seeks to create Region VI-B composed of the two Negros provinces and Siquijor was filed by Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) with Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod), Gerardo Valmayor Jr. (Neg. Occ., 1st District), Emilio Bernardino Yulo (Neg. Occ., 5th District), Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District), Greg Gasataya (Bacolod) Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong (Neg. Or., 1st District), Manuel Sagarbarria (Neg. Or., 2nd District) and Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Neg. Or., 3rd District).
Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District) and Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) filed separate bills seeking the creation of the NIR.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has filed a counterpart bill in the Senate.*