The House of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments released a draft charter earlier this week, which identified five states under a federal form of government, comprised of Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, Bangsamoro, and Metro Manila.

Throughout 2017, various Negrense officials speculated there would be more than five states, including Negros.

According to the proposal, each state would have its own legislative system, constitution, name, capital, flag, among other criteria.

During a federalism forum at the Bacolod Pavillon last August, University of Sto. Tomas-Department of Political Science chair, Professor Dennis Coronacion, confirmed the then-Negros Island Region was already being pushed as one of ten proposed states under federalism.

Both Negros Occidental second district Rep. Leo Rafael Cueva and Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Stephen Paduano earlier indicated intentions to press for the establishment of Negros as a federal state.

Meanwhile, last year, Paduano confirmed Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Alfredo Benitez was named chairman for one of four technical working groups to study proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution, as part of the government transition to federalism./PLL, WDJ