By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A Negros Occidental lawmaker bucked Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo’s counter-proposal to create another province in Negros before agreeing to the proposed reestablishment of the Negros Island Region (NIR).

According to 4th district congresswoman Juliet Marie Ferrer, the rationale behind the NIR bill, which she is also the co-author, is to make the regional government offices more accessible and thus make it more convenient for the constituents of NIR.

Ferrer said although they are expressed differently by the different authors, the explanatory notes of all the NIR bills have the same tenor.

She said there was no intention of outnumbering Negros Oriental representatives in the Regional Development Council (RDC).

“If this was the case, Negros Oriental representatives would not support the bill. On the contrary, they do not just support it, they are also co-authors,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer pointed out the creation of a third province in Negros would require a long legislative process and eventually a plebiscite, which is costly.

The solon’s statement is also in tandem with a comment by Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez, who pointed out last week, that he would prefer to listen to Degamo’s fair representation rather than agreeing to his counter-proposal.

“It is not necessary and, in fact, divisive. The people of Negros Occidental have been living harmoniously despite the different dialects, so there is no reason to make a division based on their dialects now,” Ferrer said.

She further added that the creation of laws, including NIR, is constitutionally vested in Congress, which has the legislative power.

In this case, Ferrer said all representatives of concerned provinces — Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor — support the NIR bill.

“The collective wisdom of Congress should be respected, being the representatives of the people and the legislative authority recognized by the fundamental law of the land,” she said.

Last week, Degamo made a counter-proposal to Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to create a third province in Negros, stretching from Negros Oriental’s Vallehermoso town to Negros Occidental’s cities of San Carlos and Sagay.

Degamo’s proposal is meant to address what he calls “unequal voting” within RDC meetings if the NIR is established.

Degamo also reasoned that there is a “cultural barrier,” where most of the people on the island’s Occidental side use the Hiligaynon language, while Cebuano or Bisaya is spoken on the Oriental side and in the extreme northern portion of the Occidental.

Following last week’s meeting, Degamo’s point is to address “equal footing,” wherein Negros Occidental is the dominant province, Lacson said.

The Negros Oriental governor was concerned that they would always get outvoted, Lacson added.

He further stated that Degamo did not really outright reject reestablishing the NIR.

A substitute bill seeking the reestablishment of the NIR will include Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor provinces.

Senate Bill 1236, or the Negros Island Region Act of 2022, already hurdled the committee on local government in December of last year./DGB, WDJ