• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The 500-hectare area inside the Central Philippines State University (CPSU) in Barangay Tagukon, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental is still available to be used as the site for the regional offices of the Negros Island Region, Mayor Benjie Miranda said.
This was confirmed during his meeting with CPSU president Aladino Moraca, he added.
Miranda, who was among those who welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Bacolod City on Thursday (June 27), recalled that the area was already identified to be the possible site for the regional offices during the previous NIR, which was created through an executive order issued by the late President Benigno S. Aquino III.
The property forms part of the 4,500-hectare reservation area of the CPSU located at the boundary of Mabinay, Negros Oriental.
Miranda said that it is accessible to both provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, adding that the highway has already been expanded to four lanes.
In previous years, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has proposed to CPSU to donate the latter’s 500-hectare property to be used as the NIR regional center.
Miranda said he will send a letter to Malacañang to inform the President that there was an agreement before between the CPSU management and the two Negros governors for the NIR to use the said property.
Should it push through, it will be complimented by the Kabankalan airport in Barangay Hilamonan, which is about 23 kilometers away from the NIR regional center site.
The Kabankalan City government shells out P10 million annually for the airport development.
At present, the Kabankalan airport has a 1,400-meter runway and is being proposed to be extended by 600 meters to allow bigger planes to land.
The Kabankalan airport still needs P500 million for its completion, 6th District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez earlier said. | GB
