Alvarez: Transfer Malacañang, government offices to Negros

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has proposed the relocation of Malacañang, Senate, House of Representatives and other government agencies to Negros island to decongest Metro Manila and speed up the development of the Visayas.

In a radio interview on Friday, Alvarez said he is not in favor of moving the seat of government and state offices to the Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City.

“Clark is far to those coming from the Visayas and Mindanao and even to those from the Bicol region. If we move it to Mindanao, that too is far to those from Luzon. The relocation site should be somewhere in between, like Bohol, Negros Island, Panay Island or the Samar-Leyte provinces,” he said.

Alvarez said he prefers Negros because it is accessible to everybody.

He said there are vast areas on Negros island that could accommodate Malacañang and other state offices.

He did not say where in Negros he would like to relocate government agencies. The island is composed of two provinces: Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.

Former president Benigno Aquino lll declared the island a separate region. President Duterte is reportedly planning to scrap the declaration.

Clark has been the preferred relocation site because of its proximity to Metro Manila, where most state offices are located and government workers reside.

There were plans to develop housing sites in Clark for government personnel or build an express commuter train from Metro Manila to Clark.