By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The bill which seeks to re-establish the Negros Island Region (NIR) reportedly slowed down in the Senate as Negros Oriental has yet to give its official paper regarding the said proposal.

Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, Negros Occidental provincial administrator, said Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson would finish convening with the Regional Peace and Order Council first before talking to his counterpart, Negros Oriental Governor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes.

Last week, Lacson said that he will first coordinate with the Negros Oriental governor’s office as its personnel may have been reshuffled.

Reyes came into office replacing former Governor Roel Degamo, who was killed by assassins on March 4 in Negros Occidental’s Pamplona town.

According to Diaz, it remains unclear if Reyes is against or supportive of the NIR.

House Bill 7355 or An Act Establishing the NIR passed the third and final reading of the House of Representatives earlier this month.

The bill was forwarded to the Senate for disposition.

Several senators have already expressed support for re-establishing NIR, with Senator Imee Marcos commenting that she will first study the proposal.

Prior to his assassination, Degamo expressed his opposition to the NIR revival, pointing out some factors, such as unequal voting within the Regional Development Council (RDC) should the NIR be established, political dominance of Negros Occidental, and a “cultural barrier” between the two Negros provinces.

However, Degamo did not fully object to reestablishing the region. Instead, he forwarded a counter-proposal creating another province in Negros to address the unequal voting in the RDC.

The RDC chairmanship was also proposed to Degamo.

Degamo’s counter-proposal raised eyebrows among lawmakers in Negros.

If enacted, the NIR would be an amalgamation of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces./DGB, WDJ