[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ ‘NegOcc will boost WV political clout’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Saturdsy, August 19, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – Negros Occidental’s return to Western Visayas will strengthen the region’s political clout, said Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.
When Negros Occidental was removed from Region 6 to become a separate region with Negros Oriental (the Negros Island Region), Western Visayas lost some political leverage, strength and influence, said the governor.
Negros Occidental is a vote-rich province. As of the 2015 census, its population was 2,497,261.
“We welcome Negros Occidental back to Region 6,” said Defensor.
Negros Occidental has six congressional districts plus the lone district of Bacolod City, for a total of seven congressmen in the House of Representatives.
In the 2016 elections, Negros Occidental delivered the votes to Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas and vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo. But while Robredo won, Roxas lost to now President Rodrigo Duterte.
Just this Aug. 7, Duterte dissolved the Negros Island Region, explaining that funds needed to set up new regional offices of government agencies were straining the budgets needed to fund priority programs of the government.
The region was created on May 29, 2015 via an executive order issued by then President Benigno Aquino III, party-mate of Roxas.
Defensor saw Western Visayas’ economy growing at a faster pace with Negros Occidental rejoining the region.
Known as the “Sugarbowl of the Philippines”, Negros Occidental produces more than half the nation’s sugar output. There are sugar centrals located throughout the lowland areas the north and west of the island, stretching from northwest along the coasts of the Visayan Sea and Guimar as Strait.
Bacolod City is the center of commerce and finance in Negros Occidental. It has oil companies, factories, bottling plants, allied industrial businesses, steel fabrication, power generation, agri-businesses, prawn culture and other aqua-culture ventures.
Department of Interior and Local Government Region 6 director Anthony Nuyda said the abolition of the Negros Island Region won’t disrupt the delivery of government services in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
