The Negros Island Region would be more beneficial to the fifth district, its representative, Emilio Yulo III, said over the weekend.
Yulo cited that the district has five local government units located at the border of Negros Oriental.
"We have different portals to the island's other side, including La Castellana-Canlaon City Road, Isabela-Luz Sukatuna leading to Guihulngan City, and the Himamaylan City to Tayasan town,” he said.
"I also opened new roads in Brgy. Macagahay in Moises Padilla to Brgy. Trinidad in Guihulngan City and another in Sitio Amontay in Binalbagan to La Libertad," he added.
"All local government units (LGUs) in the 5th district except for Hinigaran will have roads leading to Negros Oriental," the solon pointed out.
Yulo also welcomed the suggestion of Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo to build a mountain highway from Bayawan City, Negros Oriental in the south to Cadiz City, Negros Occidental in the north.
"We already have concrete roads in the mountain areas of the district that will easily connect to a highway if that suggestion materializes," he said.
Yulo said that the whole regional budget is divided into many provinces, but when there is NIR, only three provinces will divide it.
"The NIR is vital to our peace and order campaign. Our development now centers on the boundary areas. We extend extra efforts to visit these mountain barangays to ensure the presence of the government," he said.
"With roads, there is development, with development, there is progress, and with progress, it will buy us peace. There is nothing more important than the politics of the stomach. If there is a good life in the mountain areas, they will not demand anything from the government, " he also said.
Yulo expressed optimism that the NIR bill will be signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., before his State of the Nation Address (Sona) this coming July as he committed during his recent visit to the province.
The president has three options - sign within 30 days, veto it, or allow it to lapse into law, Yulo explained.*