NEGROS Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said he and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson will support a presidential candidate who is for the revival of the Negros Island Region (NIR).
The NIR was created through an executive order by the late former president Benigno Simeon Aquino III in a bid to unify the provinces of Negros Occidental and Oriental in 2015.
However, the island region was short-lived as it was dissolved by President Rodrigo Duterte a year after he was elected into office in 2017, citing budgetary constraints.
So far, among the presidential candidates, only Vice President Leni Robredo has expressed her desire to revive the NIR.
Robredo, who was in Negros Occidental last week, stressed that it would be a big opportunity for the province and its neighbor Negros Oriental to finally plan like an island and pool their resources together.
Aside from the revival of the NIR, Ferrer said they will also back a presidential candidate with programs that will benefit Negros Occidental and its residents.
The top officials of the province are set to meet with the local chief executives so they could discuss who among the presidential bets they will be supporting.
Ferrer said they will still respect the decision of local chief executives.
Negros Occidental is among the vote-rich provinces in the Philippines with almost 1.9 million registered voters based on data released by the Commission on Elections in 2019, although it is expected to increase.