By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson reiterated that he is hopeful the next administration will give a nod of reviving the Negros Island Region (NIR).

Lacson made the reiteration after the lawmakers in Negros Occidental filed a house bill urging the revival of the NIR.

“Without a doubt, the majority if not all Negrenses would like to have NIR. My stand does not change. We hope the next administration will consider reviving the NIR, this time supported by law so that it would be allocated with budget,” he said.

Previously, Lacson had already stated that he and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer will support any candidate who will back the revival of the NIR.

The NIR was created through an executive order signed by the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

However, the region was dissolved in 2016 by President Rodrigo Duterte due to budgetary constraints, as well as legal issues wherein the region was supposed to be created via an act and not an executive order./DGB, WDJ