Negros Oriental residents voice concerns about proposed region

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said that a massive information drive on the proposed Negros Island Region is needed for the people of Negros Oriental.

This, after Roxas heard the apprehensions and concerns of the Oriental Negrenses during a dialogue with the multi-sectoral groups including representatives from the academe, business sector and other civil society organizations in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, before his ocular inspection of the possible sites for regional center in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, Tuesday, April 21.

Roxas’ visit on the two Negros provinces is part of the preparation of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should the proposed Negros Island Region bid will be approved by President Benigno Aquino III through an executive order.  

Just last week, Roxas announced that he favorably endorsed the proposal to Aquino.

Roxas said that the outcome of the dialogue was good. None of the crowd was against the proposal, he stressed.

Even Degamo, who had expressed his opposition on the bid, said that “he is studying the proposal and that he will arrive with a conclusion in weeks’ time,” Roxas added. 

However, Roxas noted some of the apprehensions and concerns that were aired out during the dialogue. 

“They fear that Negros Occidental will dominate the decision-making because Occidental is bigger,” he said. 

Also, Oriental is concern that Occidental will outvote them. Roxas said that there are 7 congressmen in Negros Occidental while only 3 in Negros Oriental. There are also 13 cities in Occidental while only 6 in Oriental.

Another issue that was raised was that Oriental will stay poor because of the proposal. “Negros Oriental is poor because the bulk of the budget (from Region VII) goes to Cebu and Bohol. They are concern that they will remain poor even if there’s a one-island region,” Roxas pointed out. 

Negros Occidental currently belongs to Region VI or Western Visayas, with regional offices in Iloilo City, while Negros Oriental is under Region VII or Central Visayas, with regional offices in Cebu City.

These apprehensions and concerns should be addressed, Roxas said, as he noted that most of the

Oriental Negrenses are “unaware of the issue” unlike with the Occidental Negrenses. “The proposal is for development.”

With one-island region, there will be integrated planning which will result to economic development and more opportunities for investments, tourism, and public infrastructures, Roxas explained, adding that the people will be given immediate attention.

He added that it will also improve the internal security and the peace and order of the region because the army and the police will have one command.

There should be a massive information drive so they will know, he added.

Roxas said he is expecting more consultations and talks regarding the bid in the coming months.

He said that he will report the concerns of the Oriental people to Marañon so the latter can assure the former that this program is beneficial to both provinces. 

He said he is hoping Aquino will grant the executive order within the year but he stressed that “let’s give the president the greatest latitude to think about this.” 

Negros Oriental Vice Governor Edward Mark Macias said that Roxas “was able to enter the lion’s den and was able to tame the lion” during the dialogue. 

Regional center sites

After the Dumaguete dialogue, Roxas then proceeded to Kabankalan City to personally visit the proposed sites for regional centers. 

The Kabankalan-Mabinay border, straddling the two provinces, is being eyed as the possible sites for the new regional buildings. Mabinay is in the Oriental side of the border, while Kabankalan is in the Occidental side.

The Central Philippines State University in Barangay Tagukon, Kabankalan City, is offering 25 to 50 hectares of land for free for the regional center compound, Roxas said, adding that “this is not the final site. But these are all preparatory.”

Should the bid push through, provincial offices of national agencies will be used temporarily as regional offices “until money can be found in the midpoint” during the 3 to 5 year transition period.

The two governors are expected to pick the division of national government offices by cluster, he said.

“If the Oriental picks the Human Security Welfare cluster, all provincial offices under that cluster including the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, Department of Health, Commission on Higher on Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Negros Oriental will be converted into regional offices,” he explained.

The same with Occidental, if they choose the infrastructure cluster (Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transport and Communications, Department of Agriculture and Department of Agrarian Reform) or the economic cluster (Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Tourism and Department of Trade and Industry), respective offices under that cluster will be turned into regional offices.

He noted that none of the Negrenses will travel by sea should they need to conduct a business with the regional offices once the proposal will push through, “we will not be at the mercy of the sea vessel.”

Marañon, for his part, said that he is 101% sure that the bid will come into reality because of this development. “There’s a transition period but we must already decide where to put up the regional offices.” – Rappler.com