President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. could issue an executive order on the Negros Island Region (NIR) this year, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Tuesday, February 28.
Benitez said the proposed executive order on the creation of Negros Island Region will be taken up in the March meeting of the Western Visayas Regional Development Council, which he chairs.
“We will formalize the proposed options and send a letter to the president for his action”, Benitez said.
Benitez said he thinks the president will act on it because in their discussions he was not for or against it, he just wanted to hear all sides first.
An executive order on the NIR will be without prejudice to Congress’ push for the passage of law for its creation, he said.
A pending bill in the Lower House calls for the NIR to be composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.*