THE League of Provinces of the Philippines unanimously approved Thursday, May 17, the resolution to include Negros Island Region (NIR) as one of the federated regions under the proposed federal system of government.
Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo sponsored the resolution.
Ma. Lina Sanogal, head of the Negros Occidental Provincial Planning and Development Office, said that no governors who attended the meeting in Manila on Thursday opposed the resolution.
The resolution also stated the support of the two governors of the National Capital Region as the federal capital.
It also stated that Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental are the only provinces situated in one island assigned to separate administrative regions, when the Integrated Reorganization Plan under Presidential Decree 1 was implemented in 1972, wherein the province of Negros Occidental was made part of Western Visayas (Region 6), and Negros Oriental of Central Visayas (Region 7).
The NIR, composed of the two provinces together with its component local government units, was created by virtue of Executive Order 183 on May 29, 2015, to further accelerate the social and economic developments in the cities and municipalities comprising these two provinces.
Due to lack of funds to fully establish NIR and the need to ensure funding for priority government programs and projects, President Rodrigo Duterte by virtue of Executive Order (EO) 938, Series of 2017 revoked EO 183, Series of 2015, which in effect abolished the NIR, and reverted Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental to Regions 6 and 7, respectively.
The merger of the two Negros provinces into a single island region has long been envisioned by its leaders for the past 25 years as the way to ensure an effective, efficient, as wells as timely service delivery to its constituents, and to further accelerate development within the island.
The Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked to study the 1987 Constitution created by Duterte is proposing to have 18 federated regions including NIR, and the National Capital Region (NCR) as the federal capital under the proposed federalism.
In a related development, five members of the ConCom are arriving Friday, May 18, for the symposium on federalism being initiated by the Provincial Government.
The symposium will be attended by local officials of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
Karen Dinsay, Negros Occidental provincial information officer, said that members of the Provincial Board of the two Negros provinces, business leaders, and other local officials are coming for the symposium that will be held at Sugarland Hotel from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dean Julio Teehanke will talk about the "Proposed Structure of the Federal Republic and Political Reforms" while Professor Edmund Tayao will take up the "Federated Regions, Powers, and Possible Structure Options."
Lawyer Susan Ubalde-Ordinario will tackle the "Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies," while Professor Eddie Alih will discuss the "Bill of Rights and Bangsa Moro and Other Provisions."
Negrense ConCom member Arthur Aguilar will take up the "Economic Provisions and Negrosanon Federated Region."