TACLOBAN CITY — Nearly a decade after church leaders first called for it, lawmakers from the three provinces of Samar Island are now rallying behind the push to create a separate region just for Samar.

In a rare show of unity, six members of Congress from Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Samar jointly filed House Bill No. 4218 — which seeks to establish the Samar Island Region (SIR) as the country’s 19th administrative region, separate from the current Eastern Visayas (Region VIII).

The bill was filed on 3 September and is spearheaded by House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, along with Representatives Christopher Sheen Gonzales (Eastern Samar), Stephen James Tan (Samar, 1st District), Reynolds Michael Tan (Samar, 2nd District), Niko Raul Daza (Northern Samar, 1st District), and Edwin Marino Ongchuan (Northern Samar, 2nd District).

The lawmakers say the island has long been left behind in terms of development and government services, despite its abundant natural resources.

“Samarnons have to travel all the way to Tacloban in Leyte just to access basic services from national government agencies,” the bill explains. “It’s time to break the cycle of neglect.”