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[av_heading heading=’‘Just don’t split Negros’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY TIFFANY ANNE TAN and MAE SINGUAY
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SILAY CITY, Negros Occidental – Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson hoped the government does not split the two Negros Island provinces.
The proposed transition into a federal form of government was reportedly a factor in the plan to abolish Negros Island Region (NIR).
What is important is that Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces remain together, said Lacson.
“Whether one region or one federal state, [what’s important is] we are together. That’s the primary purpose of Executive Order (EO) No. 183,” Lacson said.
EO No. 183, signed by then President Benigno Aquino III, created the NIR.
There was a need “to further accelerate the social and economic development of the cities and municipalities comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, and improve the delivery of public services in the aforementioned provinces,” the EO stated.
“Maybe the plan really is to go federal,” said Lacson. “[We hope] we remain together, Occidental and Oriental, in one federal state.”
Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (3rd District) believes the government does not intend to dissolve the NIR.
“I think they are putting it in abeyance until there is clarity as far as the federal form of government is concerned,” he said.
If the transition to a federal form of government pushes through, Benitez said Negrense representatives will push for a “Negros Island Federal State.”
The congressman delivered his State of the District Report at the Civic Center here yesterday.
He claimed that all district representatives in Negros Island and Negrense party-list representatives will support a Negros State.
But Benitez allayed fears that development in the island region will be hampered if it indeed gets dissolved.
“Having no regional center does not mean there will be no more projects, especially in infrastructure,” he said.
DEVELOPMENT
Meanwhile, 10 Negros representatives wrote Duterte and Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno to consider the budget prepared by NIR Regional Development Council through the National Economic and Development Authority.
Since 2015, over 35 national government agencies and their attached bureaus have set up interim regional offices in Bacolod and Dumaguete cities, and were just awaiting their budgets for maintenance and other operating expenses, the lawmakers said.
The agencies already have their respective accounts codes with the Department of Budget and Management, they said.
The appealing representatives were Greg Gasataya of Bacolod City, Melecio Yap (1st District), Leo Rafael Cueva (2nd District), Benitez, Juliet Marie Ferrer (4th District), Alejandro Mirasol (5th District), and Mercedes Alvarez (6th District), all of Negros Occidental, and Jocelyn Limkaichong (1st District), Manuel Sagarbarria (2nd District) and Arnulfo Teves (3rd District) of Negros Oriental.
Despite difficulties in accessing budget, the regional line agencies had substantial accomplishments, with working regional Development Council, Peace and Order Council, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and Statistical Council, they said./PN
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