By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Senator Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara, who was in town attending the Lin-ay sang Negros pageant, a part of the annual Panaad sa Negros Festival, last night, expressed his support for the retention of the Negros Island Region (NIR), saying it does not make sense to split up Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
“Geographically there is unity, but politically why should you separate it?” he asked. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Take a look at Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental for example,” the senator added. “They are both Region IV-B, there is no other island that is cut up that way.”
Angara said he, along with several other senators, are trying hard to convince the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte not to abolish the region.
Meanwhile, the senator mentioned it was his first time attending the Panaad sa Negros Festival, which he said he was impressed by.
“I’ve never seen this in my entire life,” he said. “It’s like having 30 different fiestas all at once at the same time.”
Earlier this week, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. referred to the annual event as “the festival of festivals.”
“This celebration is province-wide,” he added. “This is the only festival that is participated in by all local government units.”/WDJ