Marcos said the union of the said provinces (including Bacolod City) was long overdue and made very practical sense, especially in the the Negros Island where people are located on one island but are governed under separate administrative regions.
Marcos signs into law Negros Island Region Act
Jun 13, 2024 06:59 AM
At a glance
The provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor will now be under one administrative region after President Marcos signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12000 or the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act on Thursday, June 13.
In his speech, the President said the union of the said provinces (including Bacolod City) was long overdue and made very practical sense, especially in the the Negros Island where people are located on one island but are governed under separate administrative regions.
"For decades now, Negrenses have endured the rigors of sea travel, unnecessary expenses, bureaucratic red tape, [and] inefficiency that this arrangement has brought, especially when there is a need to urgently access government services from regional centers on other islands," he said.
"The new Negros Island Region will be a bulwark of greater growth as well as a conduit for more effective and efficient delivery and essential services in the region," he added.
President Marcos likewise cited the "glaring" uneven growth and disparity of funding between the provinces which share many of the same natural resources and industries such as sugar, tourism, and renewable energy.
Before this signing, Negros Occidental was part of Region VI while Negros Oriental and Siquijor were under Region VII. This placed their regional centers in Iloilo and Cebu, respectively.
Meanwhile, Marcos said that the government envisions the NIR as one of the centers of development in the Visayas, further accelerating socioeconomic development for the millions of Negrenses, and providing strategic convergence regarding resources, investments, and economic planning.
With this, the President hoped that the people of the newly established Region XVIII would work together to complement each other's strengths and build a more united and flourishing Negrense community.
He assured the Negrenses that the National Government will provide the necessary assistance to bring this new region "up to speed as quickly as possible."
The NIR Act was part of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority measures.