Zubiri: Senate expected four federal regions

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday confirmed the draft federal constitution may face opposition in the chamber, especially on the composition of federal regions.

“[With] the way it was prepared by the Consultative Committee, many senators are opposed to it [based] on the question of survivability of the smaller regions,” he explained.

The committee recommended 18 federal regions, which includes the Negrosanon Federated Region (NFR), comprised of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

“We really have to study it,” he stressed.

The senator noted, they were initially expecting four federal regions, namely Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Bangsamoro.

With regard to NFR, Zubiri said he has no idea if the income generated from the sugar industry would be enough to sustain the region.

He projected, of the 18 proposed regions, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, National Capital Region, Region 7, and the Davao region are likely to be the most sustainable.

Earlier, Isabela Mayor Joselito Malabor, a federalism advocate, said the draft federal constitution faces “rough sailing” in the Senate but will probably pass the House of Representatives smoothly./DGB, WDJ