By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY — A lawmaker in Negros Occidental expressed optimism that the Negros Island Region (NIR) will be in place by 2025.
“It will all depend on how fast we can move in the Technical Working Group (TWG). Definitely, we hope we can hit the ground running by 2025,” said 5th District Rep. Dino Yulo in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.
Yulo said everything regarding the establishment of the NIR will have to go through the TWG.
Yulo said he has no problem with the potential renaming of the NIR.
San Juan, Siquijor Mayor Wilfredo Capundag Jr. had proposed that the NIR should be renamed to Negros Island-Siquijor Administrative Region (NISAR) to show that the new region includes Siquijor and not just Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
But Yulo reiterated that it has to go through the TWG.
“Tanan nga bagay maagi sa TWG, amo na sia ang maga balay sang bug-os kag kon ano kinahanglanon nga e plastar sa bag-o nga administrative region,” he said.
On June 13, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act into law, establishing a new administrative region aimed at unifying Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor to drive growth and development.
During the signing ceremony at Malacañang’s Ceremonial Hall, President Marcos emphasized that the NIR Act will not only unify the provinces but also enhance the delivery of essential services and reduce bureaucratic red tape.
“This union, which is long overdue, makes very practical sense, especially in the Negros Island where people are located on one island but governed under separate administrative regions. For decades, Negrenses experienced the rigors of sea travel, unnecessary expenses, and bureaucratic red tape to access government services,” he said.
“Thanks to the work of our legislators, the new Negros Island Region will be a bulwark of greater growth and a conduit for more effective and efficient delivery of essential services,” Marcos added.
