NIR retention getting more support

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The retention of Negros Island Region is getting more overwhelming support from the senators, members of the House of Representatives, and even some Cabinet secretaries of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said he was informed that 16 senators are supportive of the move to retain the NIR (Region 18).

The 10 Negros Island solons already aired their support for the retention of NIR, as they also joined majority of Negrenses in appealing to Duterte not to sign an executive order revoking the creation of this region.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who filed a resolution in the Senate for the retention of the NIR, said that—when they resume work on November 7—he will work on getting as many senators’ signatures in support of the bid.

Budget Secretary Benjamen Diokno earlier said an executive order is now being readied to be signed by the president scrapping the NIR due to budgetary constraints. But Marañon said he is optimistic the NIR will be retained because a lot of people are helping Negros.

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jesus Hinlo, a Negrense, said Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Guiling Mamondiong also pledged his support to NIR retention.

Hinlo joined DILG Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueño, whose wife is a native of Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental, Education Secretary Leonor Briones and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, both Negrenses also, in lobbying for the retention of the newly-created region.

Hinlo said he already furnished the Cabinet secretaries copies of an appeal from the Negros Island officials to Duterte asking him not to repeal the executive order creating the NIR.

In their signed manifesto earlier, Negros officials said the NIR is currently operating on funds due for Negros Occidental from Western Visayas where it previously belonged, and Negros Oriental’s share from Central Visayas. They said that NIR can operate on a status quo budget.

The League of Associations of Farmer and Irrigators Associations of Negros Occidental—composed of 124 irrigators associations and a total of 12,843 farmer-members, as well as the Negros Oriental and Siquijor Farmer Irrigators Association, with 7,747 members—also signed a joint resolution calling for NIR retention.

The resolution states that the creation of the NIR has benefitted the farmers from various public services and support services from government agencies. Farmers were able to work collectively and have assurance of development interventions suited to the culture and practices of the island, like the design of pre- and post-harvest facilities, technology transfer and environment preservation.

It added that the irrigators associations, as main contributor towards the attainment of rice sufficiency, can now be assured of sustainable development as common shared resources of the two provinces are now jointly managed, preserved and developed by one administrative region. (FREEMAN)