• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito yesterday committed P100 million for the construction of the Police Regional Office- Negros Island Region(PRO-NIR) main building, once it finally settled to a new location.
At present, the PRO-NIR temporary headquarters is located at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City.
Ejercito, chairperson of the Senate Public Order committee, who visited the PRO-NIR headquarters, said a five-hectare lot is being offered in Bago City for the site of the PNP regional headquarters, aside from the offer in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, which is also closer to Negros Oriental.
But he said the location will be decided upon by the Philippine National Police.
During his visit to the regional police headquarters, Ejercito, one of the principal authors of the Negros Island Region creation, was also accorded with arrival honors by the PRO-NIR.
Meanwhile, Senator Ejercito, who is one of the authors of the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA), met with sugar industry leaders affiliated with the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines and the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc. to solicit their inputs on how to further address the plight of the sugar industry as he pushed for amendments in the law.
The senator said he wants to be clarified why the P2 billion annual budget earmarked for SIDA, which was later lowered to P300 million, was not maximized for utilization.
Ejercito also had initial talks with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jose Benito Alonso on the issues related to the sugar industry.
Ejercito said he wants it to work, especially for Negros, with sugar as its most vital industry, noting also that his mother, former San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez, is a Negrense.
In his next visit to Negros Occidental, the senator said he will conduct another consultation with farmers, business leaders, and other sugar industry stakeholders. | GB
