By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — Sangguniang Panlalawigan ex-officio member Raul Rivera believes that a one-island Negros region is better than two independent Negros provinces.
Rivera, president of the Philippine Councilors’ League–Negros Occidental chapter, expressed support to the plan to create a Negros Region.
Rivera hails from Kabankalan City, one of the areas eyed as regional center of the proposed region.
“As one region, both provinces (Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental) can collaborate through an integrated approach for development and progress,” he said.
Rivera recalled that he was a first-term councilor in Kabankalan — at the time a municipality — when the initiative was conceptualized by then Occidental Gov. Rafael Coscolluela and then Oriental Gov. George Arnaiz.
He said it is high time for the two provinces to unite via an executive order from President Benigno Aquino III.
Rivera said Occidental and Oriental Negros share the same island. Localities in both provinces can be interconnected through the improvement of existing trails and mountain roads along their boundaries, he said.
Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Vice Gov. Eugenio Lacson hope that the plan will materialize before 2016.
A consultation on the plan was held at the provincial capitol building here last week. Some 152 Negros Island officials attended.
Another consultation will be held in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, in two weeks’ time. Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo said he will host it.
While he had reservations on the plan, Degamo said he is not against it. However, he said will create a task force that will determine the real pulse of the masses in Negros Oriental regarding the plan./PN
