Senate passes Negros Island Region Act on third and final reading
March 12, 2024
The
Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to revive the
creation of the Negros Island Region to be composed of the provinces of Negros
Occidental, including the City of Bacolod, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
On
Tuesday, March 12, Senate Bill No. 2507, which was sponsored and authored by
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, received 22 affirmative votes and no
negative vote and abstentions.
"With
the passage of this measure, the Negros Island Region, or ‘NIR,’ is one step
nearer to reality,” Ejercito said. “The idea for this bill was first planted
three decades ago, with the approval of this chamber today, it will soon bear
fruit.”
"Sa
mga minamahal kong Negrense at Siquijodnon: Malapit na matupad ang matagal
nating pinaglaban. Paparating na ang mabilis at maayos na serbisyo sa Negros
Island. Thank you for fighting the good fight, and keeping the faith,” he
added.
Ejercito,
whose mother hails from Bacolod City, said the goal is for the six clusters of
regional offices to be divided between the two halves of the island to ensure
the effective delivery of services.
As
the administrative division of Negros Island has not been conducive to regional
development, Ejercito said the NIR law will strengthen local autonomy and
accelerate the economic, cultural, and social and development of the region.
"We
would like to thank our colleagues for their support. Specifically, I would
like to thank our Negrense-in-Chief, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz”
Zubiri, for putting momentum behind this bill. Hindi lang siya sweet talker,
consensus-builder rin."
In a
meeting in Manila last September 2023 with Ejercito, alongside Zubiri and
Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo, the current governors of
Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— Gov. Bong Lacson, Gov. Chaco
Sagarbarria, and Gov. Jake Villa, already expressed their full support for this
bill. They cite inefficiency and red-tape as the main reason for seeking a
united Negros Island.
In
2015, the NIR was established through Executive Order No. 183. It was later
abolished in 2017 through Executive Order No. 38.
