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[av_heading heading=’House sets hearing on Negros Region ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY TIFFANY ANNE TAN
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BACOLOD City – A newly formed committee in the House of Representatives will hold a hearing on the status of the Negros Island Region.
The Special Committee on Visayas Development will discuss where the region created only in 2015 currently stands as far as regional operations of national government agencies are concerned.
Regional directors of line agencies will be invited to the hearing on Nov. 8.
Rep. Alejandro Mirasol (Negros Occidental, 5th District) is leading the committee as chair.
All House representatives from across the Visayas are members, according to Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District).
The hearing on Tuesday next week could be a first in a series and it primarily aims to inform the Department of Budget and Management that the island region has already been “constituted,” Benitez said.
“May gina-hire na nga mga tawo, ang iban mga regional directors,” he stressed.
The congressman is optimistic the hearing will give them answers to all issues hounding the Negros Island Region.
“When we are satisfied sa mga sabat nila, we can close the issue. Kon indi, te sigehon [ang hearing],” said Benitez.
Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier disclosed President Rodrigo Duterte will soon sign an executive order (EO) dissolving the region.
Keeping the region is “an expensive exercise” that would cost the government P19 billion, Diokno told Malacañang reporters.
Former president Benigno Aquino III created the island region via EO No. 183. Duterte has not yet signed the abolition EO as of press time.
Others invited to the Nov. 8 hearing were governors Alfredo Marañon Jr. of Negros Occidental and Roel Degamo of Negros Oriental, and officials from the Budget department and the National Economic and Development Authority.
“Ang aton nga ginatulod subong is status quo pending ang decision naton sa composition sang federal states,” Benitez said.
Duterte is pushing for the Philippines’ transition into a federal form of government.
Provincial Board members in Negros Occidental want the President to “maintain status quo.”
“Since the creation of the [region], there had been a renewed sense of unity of purpose, social cohesion and undeniable optimism that all Negrenses finally have the means to share a common destiny,” they said.
They also asked lawmakers to enact a law establishing the Negros Island Region.
While they were aware that Duterte’s push for a federal government has “implications” such as the “possible dissolution” of the region, “we are likewise cognizant of the reality that such a process may take some time.”/PN
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