By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed that the Negros Island Region (NIR) might not be pursued under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. due to the delay in advancing the bill in the Senate.

Lacson said the funding for NIR has always been the primary issue in the advancement of Senate Bill 1236.

However, despite the setback, Lacson trusts that the delay will give senators more time to strengthen the bill.

He also remains optimistic that the NIR bill will further progress.

The governor also believes that if the bill is not pursued under the current administration, there is a possibility that NIR may not be established in the future.

Senator JV Ejercito, in a statement, said the Senate still needs to convince Marcos, as there is some hesitancy due to the significant funds required for establishing the NIR.

Ejercito added that the Senate does not want to pass the bill without approval from the President, ensuring a thorough process.

The NIR bill hurdled in the House of Representatives in March of this year, and was later forwarded to the Senate.

Under the new bill, Siquijor island will be included in the NIR./DGB, WDJ