With 22 affirmative votes, no negative votes, and abstentions, the Senate has approved on the third and final reading the bill seeking the re-establishment of the Negros Island Region.

During Tuesday’s plenary session, the upper chamber gave its final nod to Senate Bill No. 2507, or the Negros Island Region Act, which will revive the creation of the Negros Island Region to be composed of the provinces of Negros Occidental, including the City of Bacolod, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, the sponsor and author of the measure, expressed his gratitude to his colleagues for supporting the Negros Island Region Act.

"We would like to thank our colleagues for their support. Specifically, I would like to thank our Negrense-in-Chief, Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri, for putting momentum behind this bill. He is not just a sweet talker but also a consensus-builder too,” Ejercito said.

With the passage of this measure, he noted that the Negros Island Region is “one step nearer to reality.”

“The idea for this bill was first planted three decades ago, with the approval of this chamber today, it will soon bear fruit,” he said.

“To my beloved Negrenses and Siquijodnons: Our long-fought battle is about to be fulfilled. Fast and efficient service is coming to Negros Island. Thank you for fighting the good fight, and keeping the faith,” he added.

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 VII 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 bill.

The Negros Island Region was first established through Executive Order 183 in 2015 by former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

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

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