From:
http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2015/06/06/1462749/pnoy-signs-order-creating-negros-island-region
PNoy signs order creating Negros Island Region
(The Freeman) | Updated June 6, 2015 - 12:00am
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President Benigno Aquino
CEBU, Philippines - Negros Island is now a separate region.
Malacañang confirmed yesterday that President Benigno Aquino signed Executive Order 183 last May 29, which created the Negros Island Region (NIR).
NIR is composed of the two provinces in Negros Island – Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
Negros Oriental used to belong to Region-7 along with Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor while Negros Occidental used to be a part of Region-6 alongside Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Guimaras.
“There is a need to further accelerate the social and economic development of the cities and municipalities comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental and improve the delivery of public services,” the executive order reads.
EO 183 mandates the creation of a Negros Island Region Technical Working Group that will plan institutional and organizational changes that will take place in the process of integrating the two provinces.
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The order also constituted the regional councils – the Negros Island Development Council, Negros Island Peace and Order Council, and the Negros Island Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said he is “very happy, very glad and very privileged” that Aquino heeded the call of Negrenses to make Negros an independent region.
“I’m thankful to the president, through Secretary Mar,” he said.
It was on the last week of May that Marañon and Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo submitted the draft of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Negros Island Region to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Aquino had said he would sign the EO once he receives the draft of the IRR.
Former DILG-7 Director Ananias Villacorta said, “As far as DILG is concerned, the creation of One Negros Island Region would entail additional budget for the establishment of a regional office and the creation of positions of its officials and staff, service vehicle to support its operation,”
Villacorta has assumed as director of DILG 11 starting June 1. He said officials from the two Negros provinces, as well as other stakeholders were convened in several multi-sectoral fora with DILG Secretary Mar Roxas for them to be fully informed of the benefits of creating the NIR.
BENEFITS
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 said the creation of the new region will benefit the whole island, considering that the biggest National Greening Program (NGP) plantation and the largest mechanized seedling nursery are in Negros Oriental.
“If the proposed One Negros Island will come into reality, it would be beneficial to the whole island as they will have a sizeable stock of seedlings to cover various reforestation efforts,” said Dr. Eddie Llamedo, DENR-7’s spokesperson.
He said, however, that this will affect the seedling production in Central Visayas as the nursery that will be fully functional early third quarter of this year will produce millions of seedlings in a month.
“But as long as the objective of NGP, which are to provide livelihood, reduce poverty, promote ecological integrity, climate change mitigation, and food security will be upheld, we don’t see a cause of concern there,” Llamedo said.
For its part, the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) said it will continue to implement programs in Negros Oriental, at least, until the end of this year.
DOT-7 Director Rowena Montecillo said they have yet to receive the directive and guidelines for the enforcement of the executive order from DOT’s central office in Manila.
“Until such time, we cannot leave Negros Oriental. We will continue helping them,” she said.
Montecillo pointed out the substantial contribution of Negros Oriental to the tourism industry of Central Visayas and to the country in general.
Based on the recent data, a total of 1.07 million tourists visited Central Visayas in the first quarter of this year, which indicated a growth of 10.26 percent from the same period in 2014.
Cebu ranked first at 813,972, in terms of the volume of both local and foreign tourists.
Negros Oriental posted the second highest tourist arri-vals at 141,183 followed by Bohol with 103,157, and Siquijor with 13,244.
She said Negros Oriental, for instance, is known to be a wholesome and interesting tourist destination with its rich and untouched natural resources.
She particularly cited the renowned Apo Island which has always been the pride of the province.
She said that they have observed the growth rate of more than 30 percent in terms of the performance of the province for the past two to three years.
“They know what they want. They know what to do. They already have the direction that will help them move forward. We wish them luck,” she said. — Marchel P. Espina, May B. Miasco, Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento /JMO (FREEMAN)
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I understand the new Regional offices will be in the town of Kabankaland. A small dusty town I think I travelled through on the bus from Bacolod to Dumaguete. I have no link to confirm this so it could be wrong. Chas.