Mayor celebrates Senate’s okay of Negros Island Region Bill

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez of Victorias City, president of the Association of Chief Executives of Negros Occidental, expressed his elation at the Senate’s approval of the bill to reinstate the Negros Island Region (NIR).

“The people of Negros Island welcome the good news as Senate Bill 2507 known as ‘An Act Establishing the Negros Island Region’ sponsored by Negrosanon senator Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator JV Ejercito was passed and approved on third and final reading,” Benitez said on his official Facebook page.

He underscored the significance of the Senate’s unanimous decision.

“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.”

Benitez reflected on the progress made thus far, noting last year’s unanimous passage of the counterpart House Bill 7355, which signaled the widespread approval for the reorganized Negros Island Region.

He emphasized the transformative impact of this development.

“Boundless development potential for One Negros Region is now about to unlock.” In a gesture of gratitude, he added, “‘Madamu nga Salamat’ to our lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate.”

“We fervently pray in solidarity and humbly petition His Excellency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., to hear the people of Negros in our desire to live and prosper as one region.”

With both the Senate and the Lower House having passed the bill, the next step toward its enactment is the signature of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In a prior statement, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who also hails from Negros, remarked on the anticipated establishment of the NIR.

“The people of Negros have been waiting for this for a long time,” he noted, addressing the administrative challenges faced by the residents of the island due to the current division into different regions.

Zubiri pointed out the impracticalities for residents who have had to travel to regional centers in Cebu or Iloilo for government services.

“It is hard to deliver people-centered governance under this setup. We have to make our government services as accessible as possible,” he explained.

The proposed NIR Act aims to distribute regional offices between Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, thus fostering new growth areas and enhancing the ease of business transactions in the region.

“I am hopeful that President Marcos sees the need for a united NIR, which is our way of bringing our services straight to our people. It is certain to improve the ease of doing business in the region, which will both empower our residents and also raise the confidence of investors in our capacity to facilitate efficient government transactions,” Zubiri concluded.

The NIR Act, with Senator JV Ejercito as the principal author and co-sponsored by Zubiri, is now awaiting the President’s signature to be enacted into law.