The Negros Island Region (NIR) Act is 99 percent done, and is sure to get President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature as part of his administration’s priority measures, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Wednesday, March 20.
Zubiri issued the promise after a meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) on Tuesday.
The House of Representatives has already adopted the Senate version of the NIR Act, Zubiri said.
“It just has to be transmitted to the President for his signature now,” Zubiri told DIGICAST NEGROS.
“But I am very confident that it will be signed into law soon, and we in the Senate are prepared to push for its proper funding for 2025”, he added.
“I am really grateful to all our Negros representatives and to the local officials, headed by (Negros Occidental) Gov. Bong Lacson, (Negros Oriental) Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria, and (Siquijor) Gov. Jake Vincent Villa, who worked with me and Sen. JV Ejercito as we spearheaded and finetuned the bill in the Senate”, Zubiri said.
The NIR Act, which is part of the LEDAC priority measures, proposes to bring the provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor together under one administrative region.
It has the full support of all the district representatives and the local officials of the three provinces, Zubiri said.
Negros Occidental currently belongs to Region VI while Negros Oriental and Siquijor are under Region VII, which places their regional centers in Iloilo and Cebu, respectively.
Zubiri, whose father is from Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, has long been a strong proponent of the NIR.
“The people of Negros deserve efficient and accessible government services,” he said.
“They should not have to travel far at their own cost, crossing by ferry or plane to Iloilo or Cebu, just to transact with our regional government offices”, he added.*