Transition work for new Negros Island Region starts

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The easy part is done, now the hard part begins.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II stressed the work ahead when he met with officials of Negros Occidental on Monday, June 8, to discuss the province’s transition to the new region it will share with Negros Oriental.

“We have accomplished so much, but we have so much work to do,” Roxas told officials, led by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr, during the Negros Island Region caucus at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall here.

Roxas was in Bacolod to hand Marañon a copy of Executive Order 183 creating the Negros Island Region, which President Benigno Aquino III signed on May 29.

With the creation of NIR, Negros Occidental was separated from Western Visayas, or Region 6, with regional offices in Iloilo City and Negros Oriental from Central Visayas, or Region 7, with regional offices in Cebu City.

Roxas said that “creating brand new regional centers need much money. We have to compromise, otherwise, it may not be approved.”

He said existing provincial offices of national agencies, for the meantime, will be converted into regional centers. “There’s no need to construct regional centers, existing provincial offices will serve as temporary offices.”

He said that it’s up to the governors of the two Negros provinces to choose which regional offices will be put up in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental and in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental.

“It should be 50-50 so not only one province will benefit,” Roxas stressed. He added “50% of your time will be in your backyard while the other 50% will be a 3- to 4-hour drive. However, you will be no longer dependent on the sea travel schedule.”

Concensus between 2 governors

 

Roxas said Negros Occidental, being the  bigger and richer province between the two, has the burden of leading the region toward faster progress.

“This is a moment of historic opportunity. For the first time, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental can come together and make a coherent plan for the entire island.” He added that this is for economic development, coordination, and security reasons.

The two governors – Marañon of Negros Occidental and Roel Degamo of Negros Oriental – will need to reach a consensus on three chairmanships: Negros Island Development Council, Negros Island Peace and Order Council, and Negros Island Disaster Risk Response Management Council.

“They need to think about it. It should not be one-sided,” Roxas emphasized.

Meanwhile, Roxas said, Marañon has to vacate the chairmanship of the Regional Development Council of Western Visayas.

The local government secretary said the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the transition to the newly created region will convene on June 15 in Manila.

The TWG is composed the Office of the President, the Department of Budget and Management, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and representatives of the two provinces. It will formulate a roadmap to put in place the institutional arrangements.

“With this instrument, you can write your own destiny, you can write your own destination, you can write your own itinerary, and you can write your own plan on how to arrive there,” Roxas stressed.

He added: “This is not easy now. You will no longer have the excuse. The challenge, the inspiration of taking the future is in your hands. You are now responsible for your future.”

“The decisions are yours, the responsibilities are yours because the authority is yours as well. The Regional Development Council will be led by Negrenses. The Regional Peace and Order Council will be led by Negrenses. The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council will be led by Negrenses,” he added.

A 3rd province?

Roxas was elated that the “anomaly” – Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental are the only provinces in the country that belong to the same island but are under different regions – had been corrected with the creation of NIR.

Meanwhile, he said, a 3rd province, Siquijor, expressed interest in becoming part of the newly created NIR. It is currently part of Central Visayas.

He said it takes residents of Siquijor 5 hours to get to Cebu to conduct transactions at the regional centers there, but it only takes one hour to go to Negros Oriental.

Here are fast facts on the Negros Island Region. – Rappler.com