By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said yesterday that he is in favor of waiting for the bill reestablishing the Negros Island Region (NIR) to become a law rather than the proposal pushed by the business sector in Negros for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to create an executive order similar to the one issued by former President Benigno Aquino III.

The business sector’s proposal is backed by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, while Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez proposed another idea of creating sub-regions to hasten the creation of satellite offices for national government offices.

Ferrer said the bill is already in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and funds would still be needed to establish satellite offices, which is why he would prefer for the NIR to become an act for better funding.

Earlier this month, the substitute bill seeking the reestablishment of the NIR hurdled the House Committee on Local Government.

Under the proposed bill, the NIR will include the provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island.

Its counterpart, Bill 1236 already hurdled the Senate Committee on Local Government in December of last year.

The NIR was first established through an executive order issued by former President Aquino III in 2015. However, it was dissolved by his successor, then President Rodrigo Duterte, in 2017 due to the high cost of maintaining the region./DGB, WDJ