JV sponsors Negros Island Region bill

The re-establishment of the Negros Island Region is one step closer to reality after Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito sponsored the measure in the Senate.

During the plenary session on Wednesday night, Ejercito sponsored Committee Report No. 177 on Senate Bill No. 2507, a substitution of five bills authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Ramon Revilla, Lito Lapid and Ejercito.

In his sponsorship speech, Ejercito said the measure will create the Negros Island Region, which will be composed of Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

"The province of Siquijor is included due to its historical ties and geographic proximity to the island of Negros," he explained.

The re-establishment of the Negros Island Region, he said, will ensure the effective delivery of government services to the public in the region.

Despite being part of the same island, the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental currently belong to separate administrative regions — Region 6 and 7, respectively.

Meanwhile, the island of Siquijor belongs to Region 7 as well.

In March, the House of Representatives unanimously approved on the third and final reading of House Bill No. 7355, the counterpart measure of the Senate bill.

The Negros Island Region was first established through Executive Order 183 in 2015 by then-President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

However, in 2017 then President Rodrigo Duterte issued EO 38, which abolished the Negros Island Region.

Duterte said establishing regional councils and offices for the NIR "requires substantial appropriation to be fully operational, thus competing with government priority programs and projects for funding."