Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Wednesday, March 13, that he is confident President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will sign Senate Bill No. 2507 or the Negros Island Region Act into law.
“I’m confident he will as it is part of the LEDAC (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council) measures,” Zubiri told DIGICAST NEGROS.
The LEDAC serves as a consultative and advisory body to the president.
The Senate unanimously approved the Negros Island Region Act, authored by Zubiri and Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, on third and final reading on Tuesday.
The bill seeks the creation of the NIR composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 7355 also seeking the creation of the NIR on March 6, 2023.
A Bicameral Conference Committee will meet to harmonize both bills after which it will be sent to the president to be signed into law, Ejercito said.
“I think the president will approve it. The next step is a meeting between Senate and the House on the disagreeing provisions,” Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), one of the authors of House Bill No. 7355, said on Wednesday.
The House Bill 7355 was co-authored by all of the representatives of Negros Island and Siquijor.
Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Negros Association of Chief Executives president, said the people of Negros Island welcome the good news of the Senate’s passage of the NIR bill.
“The overwhelming support from the Senate with 22 affirmative votes and zero negative or abstention shows how important this historic move was not only to every Negrosanon but to the whole nation as well,” he said.
“Boundless development potential for One Negros Region is now about to unlock,” the Negros ACE president said.
“We fervently pray in solidarity and humbly petition…President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to hear the people of Negros in our desire to live and prosper as one region,” he added.
The business community is very happy with the Senate’s passage of the NIR bill, Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer, said.
The NIR’s becoming a reality will mean more coordinated development in Negros, especially for road networks to boost food production and for stable power supply, he said.
It will improve peace and order in Negros Island, and draw in more investments, Carbon said.
Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (Neg. Occ. 4th District) said on Wednesday that she was very happy that the Senate finally approved the NIR bill.
“Finally, the dream of a Negros Island Region will become a reality. We are grateful to the Senate for voting unanimously for the passage of the bill,“ she said.
She thanked Zubiri and Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, for sponsoring Senate Bill No. 2507, and her co-authors of House Bill 7355.*