By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Lawmakers from the two provinces on Negros Island are also planning to talk with Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo about his somewhat dissenting stance over the revival of the Negros Island Region (NIR).

The NIR bill was approved by the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the House of Representatives Committee on Local Government last week, Negros Occidental 5th district Congressman Emilio Yulo III said.

According to Yulo, he respects Degamo’s stand on NIR, but he pointed out that the majority of the lawmakers in both provinces are keen on re-establishing the region.

He said the lawmakers wanted to talk with Degamo to find out the deep reasons behind his opinion.

However, the Negros Oriental governor never submitted a formal opposition stand to the TWG.

Earlier, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is planning to visit Degamo after the holiday season to smoothen a possible major obstacle in the revival of the NIR.

The NIR was first established through an executive order issued by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2015, but it was dissolved in 2017./DGB, WDJ