• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Thursday (March 21) that the Senate is prepared to push for the budget of the Negros Island Region (NIR) in 2025.
The statement was issued by Zubiri as he expressed confidence that the NIR bill will be signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The establishment of NIR is 99 percent done, he declared, following his attendance to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on Tuesday.
“I am very confident that it will be signed into law soon, and we in the Senate are prepared to push for its proper funding for 2025,” the Senate president said. “It just has to be transmitted to the President for his signature now.”
The establishment of the NIR, which was approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, is among the 42 priority legislative measures identified by the LEDAC headed by the President himself.
Negros Occidental Reps. Jose Francisco Benitez (Third District) and Alfredo Marañon III (Second District) are hopeful that it will be signed into law by the Chief Executive next month, as the Lower House has already adopted the Senate version.
This means it will no longer pass the bicameral conference committee, and will go straight to Malacañang for appropriate action.
The NIR will be composed of the provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and island-province of Siquijor.
Zubiri, whose paternal roots can be traced to Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, has long been an adamant proponent of the NIR.
“The people of Negros deserve efficient and accessible government services,” he said. “They should not have to travel far at their own cost, crossing by ferry or plane to Iloilo or Cebu, just to transact with our regional government offices.” | GB
