The Senate approved Senate Bill No. 2507 or An Act Establishing the Negros Island Region on second reading on Wednesday, Dec. 13, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said.
Zubiri and Ejercito, who have roots in Negros Occidental, are among the principal authors of Senate Bill No. 2507.
The bill seeks to create a new region composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
“To all my kasimanwas in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, Christmas comes early to you all”, Zubiri said with the approval of the NIR bill on second reading.
”This is a dream come true for all of us who are working to have a Negros Island Region”, he said.
“This bill, once enacted into law, will further boost development in Negros Island and Siquijor and ease the burden of our people in dealing with the national government agencies,” Zubiri said.
The NIR bill needs to pass on third and final reading in the Senate before submission to the president for signing into law.
The House of Representatives had approved its counterpart NIR bill in March.
Ejercito said they have been making sure the bill will be acceptable to the executive department so it is not vetoed by the president.
Ejercito defended Senate Bill No. 2507 during the Senate’s plenary session on Wednesday.
The bill aims to improve the delivery of basic government services in Negros Island, he said.
The bill also seeks to promote efficiency in the government to enable it to pursue programs consistent with national goals for accelerated social and economic development, he added.*